bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does hillslope trenching enhance groundwater recharge and baseflow in the Peruvian Andes?
Authors: Somers Lauren D. , McKenzie Jeffrey M. , Zipper Samuel C. , Mark Bryan G. , Lagos Pablo , Baraer Michel 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAs Andean glaciers rapidly retreat due to climate change, the balance of groundwater and glacial meltwater contributions to stream discharge in tropical, proglacial watersheds will change, potentially increasing vulnerability of water resources. The Shullcas River Watershed, near Huancayo, Peru, is fed only partly by the rapidly receding Huaytapallana glaciers (<20% of dry season flow). To potentially increase recharge and therefore increase groundwater derived baseflow, the government and not‐for‐profit organizations have installed trenches along large swaths of hillslope in the Shullcas Watershed. Our study focuses on a nonglacierized subcatchment of the Shullcas River Watershed and has 2 objectives: (a) create a model of the Shullcas groundwater system and assess the controls on stream discharge and (b) investigate the impact of the infiltration trenches on recharge and baseflow. We first collected hydrologic data from the field including a year‐long hydrograph (2015–2016), meteorological data (2011–2016), and infiltration measurements. We use a recharge model to evaluate the impact of trenched hillslopes on infiltration and runoff processes. Finally, we use a 3‐dimensional groundwater model, calibrated to the measured dry season baseflow, to determine the impact of trenching on the catchment. Simulations show that trenched hillslopes receive approximately 3.5% more recharge, relative to precipitation, compared with unaltered hillslopes. The groundwater model indicates that because the groundwater flow system is fast and shallow, incorporating trenched hillslopes (~2% of study subcatchment area) only slightly increases baseflow in the dry season. Furthermore, the location of trenching is an important consideration: Trenching higher in the catchment (further from the river) and in flatter terrain provides more baseflow during the dry season. The results of this study may have important implications for Andean landscape management and water resources.
Farmers’ Willingness to Participate in the Management of Small‐Scale Irrigation in China from a Social Capital Perspective
Authors: Luo Fang , Wang Qing , Sun Fang Min , Xu Dan , Sun Cai Hong 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBecause of the different patterns of rural clan society and the 'peer' mode of farmers' interactions, rural households make decisions based on learning, imitation, interaction, and trial and error, the realization of which depends on farmers' social capital. The concept of social capital is introduced to analyse farmers' willingness to participate in the management of small‐scale irrigation. The study deconstructs social capital pathways of reducing costs and improving productivity in agriculture. Based on field survey data of 285 farmers in Hubei Province, China, an ordered Logit model is used to analyse farmers' willingness to participate in irrigation management. It is shown that social capital and its four dimensions, i.e. social trust, institutional trust, social networks and social norms, all significantly improve farmers' willingness to participate in such management. Other factors also influence willingness to participate. The larger the cultivated area, agricultural income, or proportion of paddy field, the greater the willingness to participate in this management. The educational level of the head of a household significantly reduces farmers' willingness. Hence, it is recommended to improve farmers' willingness to participate in irrigation management by attaching importance to traditional social cohesiveness, promoting moderate scale management, and orienting rural education toward agriculture. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nitric oxide releasing vascular catheters for eradicating bacterial infection
Authors: Pant Jitendra , Goudie Marcus J. , Chaji Sarah M. , Johnson Benjamin W. , Handa Hitesh 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe interaction of blood proteins with an implant surface is not only a fundamental phenomenon but is also key to several important medical complications. Plasma proteins binding on the surface of intravascular catheters can promote bacterial adhesion leading to the risk of local and systemic complications such as catheter‐related blood infections (CRBIs). The incidences of CRBIs in the United States amount to more than 250,000 cases/year with an attributable mortality of up to 35% and an annual healthcare expenditure of $2.3 billion approximately. This demands the development of truly nonthrombogenic and antimicrobial catheters. In the present study, catheters were fabricated by incorporating a nitric oxide (NO) donor molecule, S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐penicillamine (SNAP) in a hydrophobic medical grade polymer, Elasteon‐E2As. NO offers antithrombotic and antibacterial attributes without promoting drug resistance and cytotoxicity. E2As‐SNAP catheters were first coated with fibrinogen, a blood plasma protein plays a key role in clot formation and eventual bacterial adhesion to the implant surface. The suitability of the catheters for biomedical applications was tested in vitro for contact angle, NO release kinetics, inhibition of bacteria, and absence of cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. The highly hydrophobic catheters released NO in the physiological range that inhibited >99% bacterial viability on fibrinogen‐coated catheters in a 24 h study. No toxic response of E2As‐SNAP catheters leachate was observed using a standard cytotoxicity assay with mouse fibroblast cells. Overall, the results showed that the E2As‐SNAP catheters can inhibit viable bacteria even in the presence of blood proteins without causing a cytotoxic response. The fundamentals of this study are applicable to other blood‐contacting medical devices as well. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2849–2857, 2018.
Peptide selectivity between the PDZ domains of human pregnancy‐related serine proteases (HtrA1, HtrA2, HtrA3, and HtrA4) can be reshaped by different halogen probes
Authors: Sun Mei‐Ling , Sun Li‐Mei , Wang Yong‐Qing 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe human HtrA family of serine proteases (HtrA1, HtrA2, HtrA3, and HtrA4) are the key enzymes associated with pregnancy and closely related to the development and progression of many pathological events. Previously, it was found that halogen substitution at the indole moiety of peptide Trp‐1 residue can form a geometrically satisfactory halogen bond with the Drosophila discs large, zona occludens‐1 (PDZ) domain of HtrA proteases. Here, we attempt to systematically investigate the effect of substitution with 4 halogen types and 2 indole positions on the binding affinity and specificity of peptide ligands to the 4 HtrA PDZ domains. The complex structures, interaction energies, halogen‐bonding strength, and binding affinity of domain‐peptide systems were modeled, analyzed, and measured via computational modeling and fluorescence‐based assay. It is revealed that there is a compromise between the local rearrangement of halogen bond involving different halogen atoms and the global optimization of domain‐peptide interaction; the substitution position is fundamentally important for peptide‐binding affinity, while the halogen type can effectively shift peptide selectivity between the 4 domains. The HtrA1‐PDZ and HtrA4‐PDZ as well as HtrA2‐PDZ and HtrA3‐PDZ respond similarly to different halogen substitutions of peptide; –Br substitution at R2‐position and –I substitution at R4‐position are most effective in improving peptide selectivity for HtrA1‐PDZ/HtrA4‐PDZ and HtrA2‐PDZ/HtrA3‐PDZ, respectively; –F substitution would not address substantial effect on peptide selectivity for all the 4 domains. Consequently, the binding affinities of a native peptide ligand DSRIWWV–COOH as well as its 4 R2‐halogenated counterparts were determined as 1.9, 1.4, 0.5, 0.27, and 0.92 μM, which are basically consistent with computational analysis. This study would help to rationally design selective peptide inhibitors of HtrA family members by using different halogen substitutions.
Societal individualism–collectivism and uncertainty avoidance as cultural moderators of relationships between job resources and strain
Authors: Jang Seulki , Shen Winny , Allen Tammy D. , Zhang Haiyan 
Published: December 2017

SummaryThe job demands–resources model is a dominant theoretical framework that describes the influence of job demands and job resources on employee strain. Recent research has highlighted that the effects of job demands on strain vary across cultures, but similar work has not explored whether this is true for job resources. Given that societal characteristics can influence individuals' cognitive structures and, to a lesser extent, values in a culture, we address this gap in the literature and argue that individuals' strain in reaction to job resources may differ across cultures. Specifically, we theorize that the societal cultural dimensions of individualism–collectivism and uncertainty avoidance shape individual‐level job resource–strain relationships, as they dictate which types of resources (i.e., individual vs. group preference‐oriented and uncertainty‐reducing vs. not) are more likely to be valued, used, or effective in combating strain within a culture. Results revealed that societal individualism–collectivism and uncertainty avoidance independently moderated the relationships between certain job resources (i.e., job control, participation in decision making, and clear goals and performance feedback) and strain (i.e., job satisfaction and turnover intentions). This study expands our understanding of the cross‐cultural specificity versus generalizability of the job demands–resources model.
Effect of modulating dietary vitamin D on the general bone health of rats during posterolateral spinal fusion
Authors: Bhamb Neil , Kanim Linda , Maldonado Ruben , Svet Mark , Metzger Melodie 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACTVitamin D plays a significant role in musculoskeletal health by regulating calcium, phosphate, and promoting new bone mineralization. The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of dietary vitamin D on general bone health during peri‐operative bone healing via an in vivo dosing study of vitamin D in a rat posterolateral fusion model using autograft. Vitamin D Deficient (DD), vitamin D Insufficient (ID), Control vitamin D (CD), and Hyper‐vitamin D (HD) groups were studied. Increasing dietary vitamin D improved quantitative measures of femoral geometry, including femoral strength, stiffness, and density. Femoral biomechanics, cortical thickness, moment of inertia, cross‐sectional area, and measures from bone ashing were all greater in the HD group versus the CD. This suggests that additional dietary vitamin D above normal levels during spinal fusion may lead to improvement in bone health. Serum vitamin D levels were also observed to decrease during fusion healing. These results demonstrate that dietary vitamin D improves general bone health in the femur of a rat model during posterolateral spinal fusion. This suggests a role for further clinical evaluation of vitamin D dietary intake during the peri‐operative period, with the possibility of avoiding adverse consequences to general bone health. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:1435–1443, 2018.
A novel purple acid phytase from an earthworm cast bacterium
Authors: Ghorbani Nasrabadi Reza , Greiner Ralf , Yamchi Ahad , Nourzadeh Roshan Elham 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDPhytases are a diverse group of enzymes initiating the dephosphorylation of phytate. Phytate is considered as an anti‐nutritional compound because of its capability to chelate nutrients such as Fe2+, Zn2+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. In this study, several bacterial isolates obtained from earthworm casts were evaluated for their phytate degrading capability. Enzymatic properties and the sequence of the corresponding phytase‐encoding gene of the selected isolate were determined.RESULTSThe phytase exhibited its highest activity at pH 4.0 and was stable from pH 3 up to pH 9. The temperature optimum was determined to be 65 °C. The strongest inhibitors of enzymatic activity were identified as vanadate, Cu2+, and Zn2+. High‐performance ion chromatography analysis of enzymatic phytate dephosphorylation revealed that the first dephosphorylation product was d/l‐myo‐inositol(1,2,3,4,5)pentakisphosphate.CONCLUSIONOwing to its enzymatic properties, such as tolerance to tartrate and the presence of the consensus motifs PDTVY, GNHE, DLG, VLFH, and GHDH, this phytase could be classified as a purple acid phytase. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing a bacterial purple acid phytase. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Clinicopathological characteristics, staging classification, and survival outcomes of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus
Authors: Sun Haiyan , Gong Lei , Zhao Gang , Zhan Hongdian , Meng Bin , Yu Zhentao , Pan Zhanyu 
Published: December 2017

BackgroundPrimary malignant melanoma of esophagus (PMME) is a remarkably rare and highly aggressive tumor. Studies related with clinicopathological findings, staging classification, and clinical outcomes are lacking.MethodsWe reviewed 21 cases of PMME at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 2002 to February 2017.ResultsNineteen patients (90.48%) presented a history of dysphagia for months, and two (9.52%) experienced retrosternal pain. Histologically, tumors were composed of atypical melanocytes with melanocytosis surrounding the tumor. The overall survival was 1‐40 months, with the median time of 10 months. The mucosal staging classification for upper aerodigestive tract showed better distribution of overall survival with different stages than that of the American Joint Commission on Cancer staging classification for esophagus, but without statistical difference. Both the clinical and pathological characteristics were not highly consistent with overall survival.ConclusionsPMME is a considerably aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. The staging classification of mucosal melanoma of the upper aerodigestive tract may be a good option for PMME patients.
5‐fluorouracil combined with cisplatin and mitomycin C as an optimized regimen for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in gastric cancer
Authors: Murata Satoshi , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Shimizu Tomoharu , Naitoh Hiroyuki , Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi , Kaida Sachiko , Takebayashi Katsushi , Miyake Toru , Tani Tohru , Tani Masaji 
Published: December 2017

Background and ObjectivesOptimized drug regimens for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have not been standardized completely in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). We evaluated an optimized anti‐tumor protocol comprising 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) combined with cisplatin (CDDP) and mitomycin C (MMC) in vitro for clinical use of HIPEC.MethodsThe sensitivities of 5‐FU, CDDP, or MMC, alone or in combination, using different drug concentrations, exposure times, and hyperthermic conditions (42°C) were determined in vitro by the CD‐DST method using 3 different differentiated GC cell lines.ResultsThe tumor cell growth‐inhibitory effect of 5‐FU was concentration‐dependent for all cell lines. In addition, 5‐FU showed a hyperthermic sensitization effect at all drug concentrations for all cell lines. The appropriate concentration of each drug was 5‐FU, 200 µg/mL; CDDP, 10 µg/mL; MMC, 2 µg/mL. Under hyperthermic conditions, most growth‐inhibitory effects for each drug at 30 min was equivalent to 60 min of exposure; use of three drugs combined significantly inhibited growth compared with any of the drugs alone.ConclusionAn appropriate in vitro intraperitoneal chemotherapy regimen for GC was combined use of 5‐FU, CDDP, and MMC at 42°C for 30 min.
CEA to peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) ratio is prognostic in patients with colorectal cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis undergoing cytoreduction surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy
Authors: Kozman Mathew A. , Fisher Oliver M. , Rebolledo Bree‐Anne J. , Parikh Roneil , Valle Sarah J. , Arrowaili Arief , Alzahrani Nayef , Liauw Winston , Morris David L. 
Published: December 2017

Background and ObjectivesSerum tumor markers are prognostic in patients with colorectal cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis (CRPC) undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC). Assessment of the ratio of tumor marker to volume, as depicted by peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI), and how this may affect overall (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) has not been reported.MethodsSurvival effect of this ratio was analyzed in patients with CRPC managed from 1996 to 2016 with CRS and IPC.ResultsOf 260 patients included, those with low CEA/PCI ratio (<2.3) had longer median OS (56 vs 24 months, P = 0.001) and RFS (13 vs 9 months, P = 0.02). The prognostic impact of CEA/PCI ratio was most pronounced in patients with PCI ≤ 10 (OS of 72 vs 30 months, P < 0.001; RFS of 21 vs 10 months, P = 0.002). In multivariable analysis, elevated CEA/PCI ratio was independently associated with poorer OS (adjusted HR 1.85, 95%CI 1.11‐3.10, P = 0.02) and RFS (adjusted HR 1.58, 95%CI 1.04‐2.41, P = 0.03).ConclusionCEA/PCI ratio is an independent prognostic factor for OS and RFS in CRPC. This novel approach allows both tumor activity and volume to be accounted for in one index, thus potentially providing a more accurate indication of tumor biological behavior.
Survival in patients with medullary thyroid cancer after less than the recommended initial operation
Authors: Randle Reese W. , Bates Maria F. , Schneider David F. , Sippel Rebecca S. , Pitt Susan C. 
Published: December 2017

Background and ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate the disease specific‐survival (DSS) of patients with Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) confined to the central neck based on the extent of the initial operation.MethodsThis retrospective review of patients with MTC from the SEER registry from 2004 to 2012 excluded patients with lateral neck involvement or distant metastases.ResultsThe cohort (n = 766) included 85(11%) less than total thyroidectomies (TT), 212(28%) TT alone, and 469(61%) TT with lymph node excision. Mean tumor size was similar (2.2cm for <TT, 1.9 for TT alone, and 2.2 for TT with nodes, p=0.13). Patients receiving a TT with nodal excision were more likely to have multifocal tumors (8% <TT, 22% TT alone, and 27% TT with nodes, P < 0.001), and extrathyroidal extension (1% <TT, 4% TT alone, and 9% TT with nodes, P = 0.005). Even after controlling for significant predictors of DSS, extent of the initial operation did not predict survival (HR 0.28 for <TT, 95% CI 0.26‐3.11 and HR 0.62 for TT alone, 95% CI 0.17‐2.22 compared to TT with nodes, P = NS for all).ConclusionAccording to population‐based SEER registry data, the extent of initial resection may not significantly change DSS in patients with MTC confined to the central neck.
Conflict at work, job embeddedness, and their effects on intention to quit among women employed in travel agencies: Evidence from a religious city in a developing country
Authors: Khorakian Alireza , Nosrati Saeid , Eslami Ghasem 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIntention to quit is an important concern in organizations active in the tourism industry. This issue is more evident among the employed women in religious developing countries due to the cultural and environmental conditions. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of job embeddedness and the antecedents including work–leisure conflict, work–family conflict, and work overload on intention to quit. Data were collected from 618 female employees working in travel agencies. The results showed that the negative effects on the work‐leisure conflict, work‐family conflict and work overload led to a reduction in job embeddedness and an increase in their intention to quit.
Lung Ultrasound Findings Detected During Inpatient Echocardiography Are Common and Associated With Short‐ and Long‐term Mortality
Authors: Garibyan Vartan N. , Amundson Stanley A. , Shaw David J. , Phan James N. , Showalter Brian K. , Kimura Bruce J. 
Published: December 2017

ObjectivesAlthough pulmonary abnormalities are easily seen with standard echocardiography or pocket‐sized ultrasound devices, we sought to observe the prevalence of lung ultrasound apical B‐lines and pleural effusions and their associations with inpatient, 1‐year, and 5‐year mortality when found in hospitalized patients referred for echocardiography.MethodsWe reviewed 486 initial echocardiograms obtained from consecutive inpatients over a 3‐month period, in which each examination included 4 supplemental images of the apex and the base of both lungs. Kaplan‐Meier survival curves were used to compare mortality rates among patients with versus without lung findings. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to determine the relative contributions of age, sex, effusions, and B‐lines to overall mortality.ResultsOf the 486 studies, the mean patient age ± SD was 68 ± 17 years; the median age was 70 years (interquartile range, 27 years); and 191 (39%) had abnormal lung findings. The presence versus absence of abnormal lung findings was related to initial‐hospital (8.9% versus 2.0%; P = .001), 1‐year (33% versus 14%; P < .001), and 5‐year (56% versus 31%; P < .001) mortality. Ultrasound apical B‐lines and pleural effusions were both independently associated with increased mortality during initial hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR], 4.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7–11.0; and HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1–6.0, respectively). Pleural effusions were also associated with increased 1‐year mortality (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5–3.4).ConclusionsIn hospitalized patients undergoing echocardiography, the simple addition of 4 quick 2‐dimensional pulmonary views to the echocardiogram often detects abnormal findings that have important implications for short‐ and long‐term mortality.