bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between height and hypertension in the adult Nepalese population: Findings from a nationally representative survey
Authors: Das Gupta Rajat , Haider Shams Shabab , Hashan Mohammad Rashidul , Rahman Muhammad Aziz , Sarker Malabika 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackground and aimsThe burden of hypertension is increasing in Nepal. Different studies have evaluated the relationship between height and blood pressure in different regions, with mixed results. The relationship between height and hypertension has not yet been explored in the Nepalese context. Given this knowledge gap, this study aims to determine the relationship between height and hypertension among Nepalese adults (aged ≥18 years).MethodsThis study utilized the dataset from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2016. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg. Height, measured in centimeters (cm), was analyzed as a continuous variable. Based on previous evidence, the following covariates were considered: age, sex, presence of overweight or obesity, educational status, household wealth status, and place, province, and ecological zone of residence. Multilevel multivariable logistic regression was done to evaluate the association between height and hypertension. Both crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) are reported, along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Sample weight of NDHS was adjusted during analysis.ResultsAmong 13 393 weighted individuals over the age of 18 years, the prevalence of hypertension in Nepal was found to be 21.1% (95% CI, 19.9%‐22.4%). In the final multivariable model, after adjusting for relevant covariates, it was found that height was inversely associated with hypertension. For a Nepalese adult, the odds of hypertension decreased by 10% with each 10‐cm increase in height (AOR 0.9; 95% CI 0.8‐0.9; P = 0.003).ConclusionAwareness should be raised among people with low stature for prevention of hypertension. Longitudinal studies are recommended to include genetic and social/environmental determinants of stature in the analyses.
Using isotopes to understand the evolution of water ages in disturbed mixed land‐use catchments
Authors: Dimitrova‐Petrova Katya , Geris Josie , Wilkinson Mark E. , Lilly Allan , Soulsby Chris 
Published: November 2019

AbstractTracer studies have been key to unravelling catchment hydrological processes, yet most insights have been gained in environments with relatively low human impact. We investigated the spatial variability of stream isotopes and water ages to infer dominant flow paths in a ~10‐km2 nested catchment in a disturbed, predominantly agricultural environment in Scotland. We collected long‐term (>5 years) stable isotope data of precipitation, artificial drainage, and four streams with varying soil and land use types in their catchment areas. Using a gamma model, Mean Transit Times (MTTs) were then estimated in order to understand the spatial variability of controls on water ages. Despite contrasting catchment characteristics, we found that MTTs in the streams were generally very similar and short (<1 year). MTTs of water in artificial drains were even shorter, ranging between 1 to 10 months for a typical field drain and <0.5 to 1 month for a country road drain. At the catchment scale, lack of heterogeneity in the response could be explained by the extensive artificial surface and subsurface drainage, “short‐circuiting” younger water to the streams during storms. Under such conditions, additional intense disturbance associated with highway construction during the study period had no major effect on the stream isotope dynamics. Supplementary short‐term (~14 months) sampling of mobile soil water in dominant soil‐land use units also revealed that agricultural practices (ploughing of poorly draining soils and soil compaction due to grazing on freely draining soils) resulted in subtle MTT variations in soil water in the upper profile. Overall, the isotope dynamics and inferred MTTs suggest that the evolution of stream water ages in such a complex human‐influenced environment are largely related to near‐surface soil processes and the dominant soil management practices. This has direct implications for understanding and managing flood risk and contaminant transport in such environments.
Effects of antecedent moisture and macroporosity on infiltration and water flow in frozen soil
Authors: Pittman Freda , Mohammed Aaron , Cey Edwin 
Published: November 2019

AbstractInfiltration into frozen soil plays an important role in soil freeze–thaw and snowmelt‐driven hydrological processes. To better understand the complex thermal energy and water transport mechanisms involved, the influence of antecedent moisture content and macroporosity on infiltration into frozen soil was investigated. Ponded infiltration experiments on frozen macroporous and non‐macroporous soil columns revealed that dry macroporous soil produced infiltration rates reaching 103 to 104 mm day−1, two to three orders of magnitude larger than dry non‐macroporous soil. Results suggest that rapid infiltration and drainage were a result of preferential flow through initially air‐filled macropores. Using recorded flow rates and measured macropore characteristics, calculations indicated that a combination of both saturated flow and unsaturated film flow likely occurred within macropores. Under wet conditions, regardless of the presence of macropores, infiltration was restricted by the slow thawing rate of pore ice, producing infiltration rates of 2.8 to 5.0 mm day−1. Reduced preferential flow under wet conditions was attributed to a combination of soil swelling, due to smectite‐rich clay (that reduced macropore volume), and pore ice blockage within macropores. In comparison, dry soil column experiments demonstrated that macropores provided conduits for water and thermal energy to bypass the frozen matrix during infiltration, reducing thaw rates compared with non‐macroporous soils. Overall, results showed the dominant control of antecedent moisture content on the initiation, timing, and magnitude of infiltration and flow in frozen macroporous soils, as well as the important role of macropore connectivity. The study provides an important data set that can aid the development of hydrological models that consider the interacting effects of soil freeze–thaw and preferential flow on snowmelt partitioning in cold regions.
Bone ingrowth comparison of irregular titanium and cobalt‐chromium coatings in a translational cancellous bone model
Authors: Epperson Richard T. , Mangiapani Daniel , Bloebaum Roy D. , Hofmann Aaron A. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe use of cobalt‐chromium (CoCr)‐bearing surfaces in total joint replacement (TJR) remains the predominate bearing surface. The conundrum with using this biomaterial has been selecting an ideal porous coating to assure reproducible skeletal attachment. There has been evidence that smooth CoCr beads may be inferior for skeletal attachment compared to identically shaped titanium (Ti) beads. Recent in vitro studies have demonstrated that an increased surface area and roughness favors osteoblast adhesion to metallic biomaterials. Therefore, we hypothesized that an irregular shape CoCr bead with an increased surface texture would help correct the negative bone responses that have been reported with smooth beaded CoCr coatings and thus allowing for bone ingrowth equivalently as an irregular commercially pure Ti porous coating with similar porosity. This investigation employed a weight‐bearing translational sheep cancellous bone model to accurately simulate a cancellous bone response as it would be clinically in a human TJR. The data analyses obtained from this investigation revealed similar bone responses between the porous coatings. By 12 weeks the irregular shape CoCr coating was able to achieve similar bone ingrowth with skeletal interlock when compared to a clinically proven Ti porous coating.
Ring1 promotes the transformation of hepatic progenitor cells into cancer stem cells through the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Zhu Kai , Li Jiangwei , Li Jun , Sun Jin , Guo Ying , Tian Hongwei , Li Liang , Zhang Chen , Shi Mengjiao , Kong Guangyao , Li Zongfang 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe proliferation of hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) is observed in reactive conditions of the liver and primary liver cancers. Ring1 as a member of polycomb‐group proteins which play vital roles in carcinogenesis and stem cell self‐renewal was increased in HCC patients and promoted proliferation and survival of cancer cell by degrading p53. However, the mechanisms of Ring1 driving the progression of hepatocarcinogenesis have not been elucidated. In this study, forced expression Ring1 and Ring1 siRNA lentiviral vectors were utilized to stably overexpression and silence Ring1 in HPC cell line (WB‐F344), respectively. Our finding indicated that overexpression of Ring1 in HPCs promoted colony formation, cell multiplication, and invasion in vitro, conversely depletion of Ring1 repressed the biological functions of HPCs relative to controls. The expression of β‐catenin was upregulated in the HPCs with overexpression of Ring1, and the correlation analysis also showed that β‐catenin and Ring1 had a significant correlation in the liver cancer tissues and adjacent tissues. The activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway significantly increased the expression of liver cancer stem cells related (LCSCs)‐related molecular markers CD90 and EpCAM, which led to the transformation of HPCs into LCSCs. Most importantly, the injection of HPCs with overexpressed Ring1 into the subcutaneous of nude mice leads to the formation of poorly differentiated HCC neoplasm. Our findings elucidate that overexpression of Ring1 the activated Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway and drove the transformation of HPCs into cancer stem cell‐like cells, suggesting Ring1 has extraordinary potential in early diagnosis of HCC.
MiR‐125b but not miR‐125a is upregulated and exhibits a trend to correlate with enhanced disease severity, inflammation, and increased mortality in sepsis patients
Authors: Zhu Xiaoping 
Published: November 2019

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the correlation of miR‐125a/b expressions with disease risk, progression, and prognosis of sepsis.MethodsMiR‐125a/b expressions and inflammatory cytokines were detected by RT‐qPCR and ELISA assays in plasma samples from 120 sepsis patients. Besides, blood biochemical indexes, disease severity scores, and in‐hospital mortality of sepsis patients were recorded. Meanwhile, miR‐125a/b expressions in plasma from 120 health controls (HCs) were also detected by RT‐qPCR.ResultsMiR‐125b was elevated in sepsis patients compared with HCs, and ROC curve revealed that miR‐125b could well distinguish sepsis patients from HCs with AUC 0.658. MiR‐125b positively correlated with APACHE II score, SOFA score, Scr, CRP, PCT, TNF‐α, and IL‐6 levels. Most interestingly, miR‐125b was greatly decreased in survivors compared with non‐survivors, and multivariate analysis revealed that miR‐125b independently predicted higher mortality risk in sepsis patients. Besides, miR‐125a showed no significant correlation with sepsis risk, disease severity, or prognosis.ConclusionMiR‐125b but not miR‐125a is upregulated and exhibits a trend to correlate with enhanced disease severity, inflammation, and increased mortality in sepsis patients.
Pharmacokinetics and Placental Transfer of Bupivacaine Enantiomers in HIV‐Infected Parturient Women on Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Souza Marília Cristina Oliveira , Marques Maria Paula , Duarte Geraldo , Lanchote Vera Lucia 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBupivacaine, a local anesthetic, is commercialized as a racemic mixture of R‐bupivacaine and S‐bupivacaine enantiomers. HIV infection increases the expression of placental P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp), and antiretroviral (ARV) therapy inhibits cytochrome P450 3A and P‐gp. The present study evaluates the kinetic disposition of bupivacaine enantiomers in HIV‐infected parturient women on ARV therapy. In this study, HIV‐infected parturient women (n = 10) treated with zidovudine, lamivudine, lopinavir, and ritonavir were investigated. Anesthesia and/or analgesia was achieved by the administration of 0.5% racemic bupivacaine hydrochloride with 1:200000 epinephrine in the epidural space at doses of 2.5 to 22.5 mg. Maternal serial blood samples were obtained at the time immediately before and 5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 hours after administration of the bupivacaine. At the time of delivery, samples of maternal and umbilical cord vein blood were also collected. The results suggest that bupivacaine pharmacokinetics are enantioselective, revealing higher maternal plasma concentrations of the R‐bupivacaine enantiomer (area under the total plasma concentration–time curve was calculated by the trapezoid method with extrapolation to infinity/dose(S)/(R) = 0.91; P < .05). The plasma unbound fraction of the drug (0.09 vs 0.06) and the umbilical cord vein/maternal plasma ratio (0.47 vs 0.39) were higher for the R‐bupivacaine enantiomer than the S‐bupivacaine enantiomer (P < .05). ARV therapy with ritonavir confers an enantioselective interaction between the enantiomers of bupivacaine and placental P‐gp, producing greater inhibition of efflux transport of the R‐bupivacaine enantiomer. Possible changes in the well‐being of the fetuses of mothers under analgesia may be a consequence of the increased placental transfer of bupivacaine enantiomers to the fetal circulation.
Passive micromixer with baffles distributed on both sides of microchannels based on the Koch fractal principle
Authors: Chen Xueye , Tian Yue 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSince the beginning of the 21st Century, the development of microfluidic chip technology has been very rapid and has attracted the attention of more and more scholars. As an important part of the microfluidic chip, the performance of the micromixer is critical. The fractal structure in the microchannels helps to improve the mixing performance of the micromixer and improve the mixing efficiency of the micromixer. The research results of other scholars are of great significance to the research of the present paper, which mainly studies the effect of changing the baffle state on the mixing efficiency of the micromixer based on the Koch fractal principle. Through simulation analysis, it was found that the mixing efficiency of the baffles distributed on both sides of the microchannel was higher than the mixing efficiency of the baffles distributed on the microchannel side. When the distance between adjacent baffles was divided into 0.15, 0.25 and 0.35 mm, simulated data suggested that the baffle distance of 0.15 mm was best. Increasing the number of baffles from six to eight groups increased the mixing path of the fluid in the microchannel and improved mixing efficiency. A comparison of mixing efficiencies of the 0°, 15° and 30° baffle angles revealed that very significant improvement in mixing efficiency was obtained at 30°. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Co‐fermentation of agricultural and industrial waste by Naganishia albida for microbial lipid production in fed‐batch fermentation
Authors: Sathiyamoorthi Ezhaveni , Dikshit Pritam Kumar , Kumar Prasun , Kim Beom Soo 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDOleaginous yeast Naganishia albida is well known for its ability to utilize a variety of carbon sources, including lignocellulosic hydrolysates, complex sugars and fatty acids. In this study, crude glycerol derived from the biodiesel industry and onion waste hydrolysate (OWH) were used as potential substrates for microbial lipid production.RESULTSBoth substrates provided sufficient nutrition to support cell growth and lipid production as sole carbon source. Enhanced lipid production and cell growth rate were observed with supplementation of yeast extract as nitrogen source. Co‐fermentation of OWH and crude glycerol led to improved biomass as well as lipid production. The highest lipid content of 34.0% (w/w) with 21.1 g L−1 of dry cell weight was obtained after 168 h of fed‐batch fermentation with intermittent feeding of crude glycerol and OWH. The lipid concentration was approximately 7 times higher than using mineral medium with crude glycerol as sole carbon source, where a lipid content of 12.6% (w/w) and a maximum biomass of 8.32 g L−1 were obtained at 168 h.CONCLUSIONOptimization of glycerol and OWH feeding could enhance lipid accumulation in N. albida. This study suggests that the co‐fermentation of agricultural and industrial waste as substrates can provide a competitive route for single cell oil production. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Microwave‐assisted extraction of cannabinoids and antioxidants from Cannabis sativa aerial parts and process modeling
Authors: Drinić Zorica , Vladić Jelena , Koren Anamarija , Zeremski Tijana , Stojanov Nadežda , Kiprovski Biljana , Vidović Senka 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDCannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the most controversial plants. So far, its multiple application in industry for the production of fabrics, paper and construction materials is known. Today, there is increasing interest in its application for medical purposes, as opposed to its opiate activity. In addition to well‐known cannabinoids, the presence of polyphenolic compounds and their antioxidant and reductive abilities are of great importance. Therefore the extraction of both constituents, polyphenolics and cannabinoids (Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)), of industrial hemp was carried out using microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE).RESULTSThe effects of different extraction parameters, namely ethanol concentration (30, 50 and 70% v/v), extraction time (10, 20 and 30 min) and solid/liquid ratio (5, 10 and 15 g mL−1), on extraction yield, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, reductive capacity, CBD content and THC content were investigated using response surface methodology. For the experimental design, a Box–Behnken design was chosen. In the obtained extracts, the following ranges of targeted compounds were detected: total phenols from 0.8499 to 2.7060 mg gallic acid equivalent mL−1, total flavonoids from 0.4707 to 1.4246 mg catechin equivalent mL−1, THC from 0.0339 to 0.0637 mg mL−1 and CBD from 0.2243 to 1.8415 mg mL−1. Antioxidant activity ranged from 0.0009 to 0.2079 mL mL−1, while reductive capacity ranged from 0.0021 to 0.0066 mL mL−1.CONCLUSIONMAE proved to be a simple, efficient, fast and low environmental impact method for obtaining polyphenols and cannabinoids from C. sativa L. Cannabis herb, which presents a by‐product of fiber and cannabis product, showed to be a promising source of bioactive compounds. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Conventional plasmid DNAs with a CpG‐containing backbone achieve durable transgene expression in mouse liver
Authors: Suzuki Tetsuya , Wakao Yusuke , Goda Takuya , Kamiya Hiroyuki 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundDurable transgene expression from plasmid DNAs is the key to gene therapy with non‐viral vectors. A comparison of the durability of transgene expression from plasmid DNAs with the CpG‐free and ‐containing backbones is important.MethodsWe constructed plasmid DNAs with the CpG‐containing backbone, various transcription regulatory sequences with and without CpG, and the gene encoding Gaussia princeps luciferase, which is apparently non‐immunogenic. The tail vein hydrodynamics‐based method was used for plasmid injection into mice, and the luciferase activity in serum was tracked for 28 days.ResultsThe plasmid DNAs containing the albumin promoter [with or without the cytomegalovirus (CMV) enhancer] and the elongation factor (EF)1α promoter plus the CMV enhancer exhibited long‐term luciferase expression. The expression from the plasmid DNA containing the albumin promoter without the CMV enhancer was maintained for at least 24 weeks and was similar to that from the corresponding CpG‐free plasmid DNA.ConclusionsThe results obtained in the present study suggest that special sequences/systems are unnecessary for durable transgene expression from plasmid DNAs when the proper transcription regulatory sequences are used.
One‐pot synthesis of benzimidazole‐pyrazines and their anticancer activities
Authors: Li Yingfen , Wei Xian , Bai Song , Xu Zhi‐Gang , Lv Menglan 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe skeleton of fused benzimidazole‐pyrazine was constructed via an Ugi/deprotection/cyclization (UDC) and hydroamination cascade reaction. This four‐step reaction was carried out in a one‐pot procedure with only one‐time column chromatography purification. The representative compound 7b exhibited 67% cell growth inhibitory activity against human breast cancer cell line MDA‐MB‐453 at the concentration of 10μM.
Considerations and adaptions to the modulated arc total body irradiation technique: dosimetry description
Authors: Effeney Beth , Biggs Jennifer , Brady Carole , Pemberton Melanie , Sim Lucy , Pullar Andrew 
Published: November 2019

AbstractTotal body irradiation (TBI) is a complex treatment technique, which has been slow to transition to a three‐dimensional (3D) planning approach. There is limited literature available providing a detailed description on methods to plan TBI on a 3D planning system. 3D planning using the modulated arc TBI (MATBI) technique is a complex process involving a significant number of quality assurance processes and scripts, due to more than 40 treatment beams and two patient positions. This article will focus on the workflow and technical planning aspects of our institution’s MATBI technique and identify reasons for modifications made to the developing institution’s original MATBI approach. Included is a description of specific simulation equipment, detailed explanation of the four‐stage computing process including the role of scripting to standardise and streamline what is otherwise a complex number of steps. The information provided is specific to one centre’s approach but shows the fundamental planning process and demonstrates a streamlined method, which can be adapted to other planning systems. Overall, the ability to accurately represent the TBI technique in 3D on a planning system will be shown.