bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Seasonal Factors on Petroleum Hydrocarbon Vapor Biodegradation and Intrusion Potential in a Cold Climate
Authors: Hers Ian , Jourabchi Parisa , Lahvis Matthew A. , Dahlen Paul , Luo E. Hong , Johnson Paul , DeVaull George E. , Mayer K. Ulrich 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA detailed seasonal study of soil vapor intrusion at a cold climate site with average yearly temperature of 1.9 °C was conducted at a house with a crawlspace that overlay a shallow dissolved‐phase petroleum hydrocarbon (gasoline) plume in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. This research was conducted primarily to assess if winter conditions, including snow/frost cover, and cold soil temperatures, influence aerobic biodegradation of petroleum vapors in soil and the potential for vapor intrusion. Continuous time‐series data for oxygen, pressure differentials, soil temperature, soil moisture, and weather conditions were collected from a high‐resolution monitoring network. Seasonal monitoring of groundwater, soil vapor, crawlspace air, and indoor air was also undertaken. Petroleum hydrocarbon vapor attenuation and biodegradation rates were not significantly reduced during low temperature winter months and there was no evidence for a significant capping effect of snow or frost cover that would limit oxygen ingress from the atmosphere. In the residual light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) source area adjacent to the house, evidence for biodegradation included rapid attenuation of hydrocarbon vapor concentrations over a vertical interval of approximately 0.9 m, and a corresponding decrease in oxygen to less than 1.5% v/v. In comparison, hydrocarbon vapor concentrations above the dissolved plume and below the house were much lower and decreased sharply within a few tens of centimeters above the groundwater source. Corresponding oxygen concentrations in soil gas were at least 10% v/v. A reactive transport model (MIN3P‐DUSTY) was initially calibrated to data from vertical profiles at the site to obtain biodegradation rates, and then used to simulate the observed soil vapor distribution. The calibrated model indicated that soil vapor transport was dominated by diffusion and aerobic biodegradation, and that crawlspace pressures and soil gas advection had little influence on soil vapor concentrations.
Efficacy of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir with or without ribavirin for 12 weeks in genotype 1b HCV patients previously treated with a nonstructural protein 5A inhibitor‐containing regimen
Authors: Ikeda Hiroki , Watanabe Tsunamasa , Shimizu Hirohito , Hiraishi Tetsuya , Kaneko Rena , Baba Toshiyuki , Takahashi Hideaki , Matsunaga Kotaro , Matsumoto Nobuyuki , Yasuda Hiroshi , Okuse Chiaki , Iwabuchi Shogo , Suzuki Michihiro , Itoh Fumio 
Published: March 2018

AimThe therapeutic benefit of adding ribavirin (RBV) to 12 weeks of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) for patients who experienced failure of a previous nonstructural protein (NS) 5A inhibitor‐containing regimen is unclear.MethodsA total of 29 genotype 1b HCV patients who had failed prior daclatasvir (DCV) plus asunaprevir (ASV) treatment were retreated for 12 weeks of LDV/SOF, with or without RBV. Antiviral efficacy and predictive factors associating with a sustained virological response at 24 weeks (SVR24) were evaluated retrospectively.ResultsSVR24 was achieved in 67% (10/15) of patients who received LDV/SOF with, and 64% (9/14) without, RBV. The SVR24 rates were 80% in patients with, and 58% without, mild fibrosis (FIB‐4 < 3.25). The SVR24 rate was lower with unfavorable IL28B rs8099917 SNP genotypes; specifically, the TT, TG and GG had SVR24 rates of 78%, 50% and 40%. The SVR24 rate was lower with a poor response to prior DCV plus ASV, where relapse, viral breakthrough and no response had SVR24 rates 71%, 58% and 0%. The SVR24 rate was lower with the number of NS5A resistance‐associated substitutions (RAS), where 2, 3, 4 and 5 RAS had SVR24 rates of 78%, 67%, 50% and 0%. A patient with an NS5A‐P32 deletion, which shows resistance to next‐generation NS5A inhibitors, was retreated with LDV/SOF with RBV and achieved SVR24.ConclusionsThe addition of RBV to 12 weeks of LDV/SOF has little therapeutic benefit when retreating patients in whom a prior NS5A inhibitor‐containing regimen had failed.
Astrocyte elevated gene‐1 participates in the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in dental pulp cells via NF‐κB signalling pathway
Authors: Wu H. , He M. , Yang R. , Zuo Y. , Bian Z. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAimTo identify the role of astrocyte elevated gene‐1 (AEG‐1) and the mechanism underlying the inflammatory response in dental pulp cells.MethodologyAstrocyte elevated gene‐1 expression was detected at different stages of pulpitis in a rat model using immunohistochemistry. RT‐qPCR and Western blot were used to assess AEG‐1 expression in human dental pulp cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The LPS‐induced expression of inflammatory cytokine genes was quantified by RT‐qPCR in cells transfected with AEG‐1 or negative control (NC) siRNA. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were utilized to evaluate the activation of NF‐κB signalling in AEG‐1 knockdown cells. AEG‐1 expression was also investigated by Western blot in dental pulp cells pre‐treated with inhibitors of NF‐κB and PI‐3K signalling before the addition of LPS. Data were analysed statistically using one‐way anova.ResultsThe exposure of dental pulp tissue to LPS resulted in acute inflammation with necrosis and AEG‐1 expression in the pulp tissue beneath the perforation. In LPS‐stimulated dental pulp cells, AEG‐1 mRNA and protein were significantly up‐regulated (P < 0 .05) in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. In AEG‐1 knockdown cells, the synthesis of IL‐1, IL‐6 and TNF‐α mRNA was suppressed significantly (P < 0.05) upon LPS induction. AEG‐1 knockdown also inhibited nuclear translocation of p65. Suppression of NF‐κB and PI‐3K abrogated the LPS‐induced up‐regulation of AEG‐1.ConclusionAstrocyte elevated gene‐1 participated in inflammatory cytokine synthesis via NF‐κB signalling in the dental pulp. Both NF‐κB and PI‐3K signalling are involved in LPS‐induced AEG‐1 expression in dental pulp cells.
Improvement in electrical properties of thermoelectric CuAlO2 ceramics aided by aluminosilicate glass
Authors: Ma Bingchuang , Zhu Mankang , Zheng Mupeng , Hou Yudong 
Published: March 2018

AbstractDelafossite CuAlO2 (CAO) ceramics were fabricated by the solid‐state route, using aluminosilicate glass powders as a sintering aid to improve the sintering ability and electrical conductivity, at 1473 K for 3 hours. The CAO ceramics with glass addition obviously enhanced bulk density, grain size, and electrical conductivity. It is found that the conductivity of CAO ceramics increased with the increase in glass content under 9.5%, whereas it was over 9.5%, the conductivity went down. The glass coming up to 9.5% increased the sintering ability and the electrical conductivity which was increased by one order of magnitude, thus increasing the figure of merit ZT for thermoelectric performance of our CAO added with 9.5% glass up to 9.82 × 10−3 at 773 K, which is a high value among the CAO ceramics. Besides, the impedance analysis shows that the impedance of the CAO ceramic was controlled by its grain boundary.
Differential surface phenotype and context‐dependent reactivity of functionally diverse NKT cells
Authors: Cameron Garth , Godfrey Dale I 
Published: March 2018

AbstractNatural Killer T (NKT) cells are a functionally diverse population that recognizes lipid‐based antigens in association with the antigen‐presenting molecule CD1d. Here, we define a technique to separate the functionally distinct thymic NKT1, NKT2 and NKT17 cell subsets by their surface expression of CD278 (ICOS) and the activation‐associated glycoform of CD43, enabling the investigation of subset‐specific effector‐functions. We report that all three subsets express the transcription factor GATA‐3 and the potential to produce IL‐4 and IL‐10 following activation. This questions the notion that NKT2 cells are the predominant source of IL‐4 within the NKT cell pool, and suggests that IL‐10‐production may be more indicative of NKT cell plasticity than the existence of a distinct regulatory lineage or subset. We also show that many NKT17 cells are CD4+ and are biased toward Vβ8.3 TCR gene usage. Lastly, we demonstrate that the toll‐like receptor (TLR) ligand lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can induce a NKT17 cell‐biased response, even in the absence of exogenous antigen, and that combining LPS with α‐GalCer resulted in enhanced IL‐17A‐production, and reduced levels of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL‐10. This study provides a novel means to examine the context‐dependent reactivity of the functionally heterogeneous NKT cell population and provides important new insight into the functional biology of these subsets.
The level of collaboration amongst nurses in Turkey
Authors: Durmuş S.Ç. , Ekici D. , Yildirim A. 
Published: March 2018

AimThis study was conducted to determine the level of collaboration amongst nurses in Turkey.BackgroundCollaboration amongst nurses is thought to increase nurse–physician collaboration and decrease medical mistakes. It has been connected with positive patient outcomes and increased job satisfaction for nurses. There are some studies on nurse–physician collaboration in Turkey, but nurse–nurse collaboration has not been measured before in this context. There are limited studies in the literature on nurse–nurse collaboration.MethodsThe sample of this study consisted of 859 nurses who work at one public hospital, one university hospital and four private hospitals in Turkey. The study was designed as descriptive and cross‐sectional research. The data were collected using the nurse–nurse collaboration scale and a socio‐demographic questionnaire. The nurse–nurse collaboration scale comprises five subdimensions: problem‐solving, shared process, communication, coordination and professionalism. The cut‐off value of the scale for minimum expected collaboration degree was determined as 2.5.ResultsIt was found that the total nurse–nurse collaboration level in the sample was 3.09, which is above minimum expected degree of collaboration (2.5). In regard to the subdimensions of the scale, the lowest mean score (2.97) was for problem‐solving and the highest (3.20) was for professionalism. Graduate nurses’ problem‐solving, coordination, professionalism and cooperation skills were found to be higher than those of undergraduate nurses. Nurses employed under continuous employment contracts presented higher collaboration scores than those employed with annual, temporary contracts.ConclusionsRegarding the results obtained in the study, although the Turkish nurses were collaborating at the minimum expected level, they can collaborate more. Improved collaboration between nurses will increase patient satisfaction and thus will have a favourable impact on patient safety.Implications for nursing policy and health policyNurses who have a bachelor's or higher level degree should be hired, and nurses should be provided with job security in the form of a continuous employment contract to enhance nurse–nurse collaboration.
Oral health‐related quality of life in young Cambodian children: a validation study with a focus on children with cleft lip and/or palate
Authors: Khoun Tola , Malden Penelope E , Turton Bathsheba J 
Published: March 2018

BackgroundOral Health‐Related Quality‐of‐Life (OHRQoL) measures have been developed and cross‐culturally validated for use in many populations in recent years. Their use in children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP), however, is not as well established.AimThis study aimed to validate twoOHRQoL instruments for use with Cambodian children and to describe theOHRQoL of a sample of Cambodian children withCLP, compared with other children in the same cohort.MethodsA convenience sample of 133 children aged 2–8 years and their families was recruited from twoNGOhealth services in urban and rural areas of Cambodia. Children were assigned into clinical groups of cleft, malocclusion, severe caries (PUFA≥ 1), and dentine caries.OHRQoL was measured using the Parental‐Caregivers Perception Questionnaire (P‐CPQ‐16) and Family Impact Scale (FIS‐8).ResultsThe validity of the instruments was acceptable with an expected gradient in both scale scores being evident across self‐reported oral health ratings. Children withCLPand their families experienced significantly greater impacts onOHRQoL, and the pattern of these impacts differed among the clinical groups.ConclusionsThis study has confirmed the validity of the P‐CPQ‐16 andFIS‐8 for use with young Cambodian children. The results impart advocacy for needed improvements in the care of children withCLPand provide a foundation for future epidemiological research of oral health in Cambodia.
Influenza‐like illness in healthcare personnel at a paediatric referral hospital: Clinical picture and impact of the disease
Authors: Laris González Almudena , Villa Guillén Mónica , López Martínez Briceida , Gamiño Arroyo Ana E. , Moreno Espinosa Sarbelio , Jiménez Juárez Rodolfo Norberto , Sánchez Huerta José Luis , de la Rosa Zamboni Daniela 
Published: March 2018

IntroductionHealthcare personnel (HP) are frequently exposed to influenza and can be a source of transmission to patients and other workers, resulting in high‐cost outbreaks for healthcare institutions.ObjectivesTo analyse the presentation of HP with influenza‐like illness (ILI) and the differences between individuals with influenza confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and those with a negative test. The secondary objective was to evaluate the duration of symptomatology and work absenteeism as well as the vaccination rate of HP at a paediatric referral hospital.MethodsA cross‐sectional, descriptive study was conducted at a paediatric referral hospital. Clinical and epidemiological data on HP with ILI were collected between January and April 2016. Nasopharyngeal swab for influenza PCR was obtained from one in every three workers with ILI. Telephone follow‐up was conducted to document duration of symptoms, complications and absenteeism.ResultsA total of 164 ILI episodes were evaluated in 162 HP. A swab was obtained in 59 cases, and influenza was detected in 30 cases. The clinical picture of HP with confirmed influenza was similar to that of HP with a negative PCR. Arthralgia was more common in those with influenza (90% vs 58%), with a tendency towards statistical significance. No HP required hospitalization, and 78.5% were absent from work at least 1 day.ConclusionsInfluenza causes significant morbidity and absenteeism among HP. Influenza infection was confirmed in only half of HP with an ILI on whom a PCR was performed, suggesting that other respiratory viruses can cause a similar pattern.
A simple method of short‐term mechanical reliability prediction for ceramics in reactive environments
Authors: Cook Robert F. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractA method is demonstrated for prediction of ceramic reliability limited by fracture in reactive environments. The simplicity of the method relies on the ceramic displaying ideal indentation‐strength behavior and on the applied loading leading to short‐term power‐law crack velocity behavior. Reactive failure strength measurements, treating flaw size as a variable and failure time as a constraint in a “pass‐fail” test, enable reliability, including both intrinsic and contact flaws, to be predicted. Little to no computation is required.
Critical loading conditions of amorphization, phase transformation, and dilation cracking in 6H‐silicon carbide
Authors: Wu Zhonghuai , Liu Weidong , Zhang Liangchi 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAmorphization, phase transformation, and dilation cracking are 3 major deformation/failure mechanisms of monocrystalline 6H‐SiC. This paper studies their critical formation conditions and mechanisms under hydrostatic pressure and uniaxial compression and tension with the aid of large‐scale molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that under hydrostatic pressure the major deformation mechanism is amorphization, that under uniaxial compression the major mechanism turns to phase transformation at low temperature and amorphization at high temperature, and that under uniaxial tension the dominating mechanism becomes dilation cracking. Increasing the temperature reduces the thresholds significantly and brings about a heterogeneous deformation mode. The study further concluded that these deformation mechanisms and their thresholds can be predicted theoretically.
Large recoverable energy density with excellent thermal stability in Mn‐modified NaNbO3‐CaZrO3 lead‐free thin films
Authors: Luo Bingcheng , Dong Huijuan , Wang Danyang , Jin Kexin 
Published: March 2018

AbstractEffect of Mn dopant on energy storage properties in lead‐free NaNbO3−0.04CaZrO3 (NNCZ) thin films was investigated. The leakage current was largely suppressed, whereas dielectric constant, breakdown fields, and the difference between maximum polarization and remnant polarization were improved significantly by Mn doping, resulting in a large enhancement of energy storage performance. A large recoverable energy storage density of ~19.64 J/cm3 and an excellent thermal stability (from 30 to 160°C) were simultaneously achieved in the NNCZ thin film with 1 mol% Mn addition. Our results ascertain the great potential of NNCZ lead‐free thin films for the applications in energy storage devices over a wide temperature range.
Borate melt structure: Temperature‐dependent B–O bond lengths and coordination numbers from high‐energy X‐ray diffraction
Authors: Alderman Oliver L. G. , Benmore Chris J. , Lin Alex , Tamalonis Anthony , Weber J. K. Richard 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBorate melts containing <20 mol% Na2O have been studied using high‐energy synchrotron X‐ray diffraction. Temperature dependencies of the mean B–O bond lengths are shown to vary strongly with soda content, by comparison to previous measurements on liquid B2O3 and Na2B4O7. Whereas in liquid B2O3 linear thermal expansion of the BØ3 units is observed, with coefficient αBO = 3.7(2) × 10−6 K−1, this expansion is apparently slightly suppressed in melts containing <20 mol% Na2O, and is dramatically reversed at the diborate composition. These effects are interpreted in terms of changes in the mean B–O coordination number, where the reaction BØ4− + BØ3 ⇌ BØ3 + BØ2O− shifts to the right with increasing temperature. The empirical bond‐valence relationship is used to convert measured bond lengths, rBO, to coordination numbers, nBO, including a correction for the expected thermal expansion. This method is more accurate and precise than direct determination of nBO from peak areas in the radial distribution functions. Gradients of ΔnBO/ΔT = −3.4(3) × 10−4 K−1 close to the diborate composition, and ΔnBO/ΔT = −0.3(1) × 10−4 K−1 for a 13(3) mol% Na2O melt are observed, in reasonable agreement with Raman spectroscopic observations and thermodynamic modeling, with some quantitative differences. These observations go toward explaining isothermal viscosity maxima and changes in fragility across the sodium borate system.
Long‐term efficacy and tolerability of azilsartan medoxomil/chlorthalidone vs olmesartan medoxomil/hydrochlorothiazide in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Bakris George L. , Zhao Lin , Kupfer Stuart , Juhasz Attila , Hisada Michie , Lloyd Eric , Oparil Suzanne 
Published: March 2018

An open‐label, long‐term study evaluated safety and tolerability of azilsartan medoxomil/chlorthalidone (AZL‐M/CLD) vs olmesartan/hydrochlorothiazide (OLM/HCTZ) in hypertensive participants with stage 3 chronic kidney disease. Initial therapy was AZL‐M/CLD 20/12.5 mg (n = 77) or OLM/HCTZ 20/12.5 mg (n = 76), but could be up‐titrated (AZL‐M/CLD to 40/25 mg; OLM/HCTZ to 40/25 mg [US] or 20/25 mg [Europe]) with other agents added during weeks 4‐52. Primary endpoint was proportion of participants with ≥ 1 adverse event (AE) through week 52. Baseline demographics were similar. AEs did not differ between groups (88.3%, AZL‐M/CLD vs 76.3%, OLM/HCTZ; P = .058). AZL‐M/CLD showed greater systolic BP reductions after initial dosing (P = .037) but not during long‐term follow‐up (P = .588). A greater proportion of participants up‐titrated to the highest dose with OLM/HCTZ (48.7%) vs AZL‐M/CLD (29.9%) (P = .021) and were taking additional antihypertensive medications (26.3% vs 16.9%). Both AZL‐M/CLD and OLM/HCTZ showed similar efficacy and tolerability.
Glyoxalase 1 sustains the metastatic phenotype of prostate cancer cells via EMT control
Authors: Antognelli Cinzia , Cecchetti Rodolfo , Riuzzi Francesca , Peirce Matthew J. , Talesa Vincenzo N. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractMetastasis is the primary cause of death in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Effective therapeutic intervention in metastatic PCa is undermined by our poor understanding of its molecular aetiology. Defining the mechanisms underlying PCa metastasis may lead to insights into how to decrease morbidity and mortality in this disease. Glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) is the detoxification enzyme of methylglyoxal (MG), a potent precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Hydroimidazolone (MG‐H1) and argpyrimidine (AP) are AGEs originating from MG‐mediated post‐translational modification of proteins at arginine residues. AP is involved in the control of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a crucial determinant of cancer metastasis and invasion, whose regulation mechanisms in malignant cells are still emerging. Here, we uncover a novel mechanism linking Glo1 to the maintenance of the metastatic phenotype of PCa cells by controlling EMT by engaging the tumour suppressor miR‐101, MG‐H1‐AP and TGF‐β1/Smad signalling. Moreover, circulating levels of Glo1, miR‐101, MG‐H1‐AP and TGF‐β1 in patients with metastatic compared with non‐metastatic PCa support our in vitro results, demonstrating their clinical relevance. We suggest that Glo1, together with miR‐101, might be potential therapeutic targets for metastatic PCa, possibly by metformin administration.
Influence of implant neck surface and placement depth on crestal bone changes and soft tissue dimensions around platform‐switched implants: A histologic study in dogs
Authors: Valles Cristina , Rodriguez‐Ciurana Xavier , Muñoz Fernando , Permuy Maria , López‐Alonso Henar , Nart Jose 
Published: March 2018

AbstractObjectivesTo analyse bone remodelling and peri‐implant soft tissues around platform‐switching implants with and without a machined collar placed at different levels in relation to bone crest.Material and MethodsAll mandibular premolars and the first molars were extracted in five dogs. At 6 months, six implants with and without a machined neck (MACH and GBAE implants, respectively) were randomly inserted in each hemimandible positioning the implant–abutment interface in either a supracrestal (+1.5 mm), equicrestal, or subcrestal (−1.5 mm) position. After 6 months, animals were killed for histomorphometric analysis.ResultsWhen net bone loss (primary outcome variable) was compared between MACH and GBAE groups, the multivariable regression analysis revealed no significant differences between implants inserted at the same vertical position. The dimensions of the peri‐implant mucosa were greater in MACH implants compared with GBAE implants; however, these differences failed to reach statistical significance. Regarding the number of inflammatory cells and collagen fibre orientation, no statistically significant differences were found between MACH and GBAE groups.ConclusionsThe surface treatment of the implant neck does not seem to have an influence on net bone loss, and there were no statistically significant differences in the peri‐implant soft tissues between platform‐switching implants with and without a machined neck.