bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Trend and Age-Period-Cohort Analysis on the Burden of Cardiovascular Disease attributable to Tobacco Exposure in China, Japan, USA and World
Authors: Wu Wenying , Zhu Bo , Xu Shuang , Liu Yong , Bi Yifei , wu xiaomei 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Background Tobacco exposure is the major contributor of CVD mortality, but none of the published studies on CVD mortality attributable to tobacco exposure analyzed the possible reasons underlying the long-term trends and the differences between age-groups in China.Methods The mortality data in China, Japan, USA and World were obtained from GBD 2017. The joinpoint regression analysis was used to assess the magnitude and direction of trends over time for CVD morality, and the age-period-cohort method was used to analyze the temporal trends of CVD mortality by age, period, and cohort. The smoking prevalence was acquired from WHO.Results There was a significant downward trend in ASMR of CVD attributable to smoking in four regions, but China has the smallest decline and the ASMR of CVD attributable to smoking in China rose to the first place in 2017 (41.41 per 100,000). All the net drifts per year in four regions were negative, and the local drift values were below zero in all age groups. The longitudinal age curves of the CVD mortality attributable to smoking increased in four regions and China had the largest increase. The period/cohort RRs indicated a decline, and China has the smallest decline. All the cohort/period RRs and net drifts per year in female had more quickly declining trends than that in male. All the results of secondhand smoke were similar to that of smoking. For Stroke and IHD, their results were similar to those of CVD.Conclusions Although CVD mortality attributable to tobacco exposure had declined in four regions, CVD mortality attributable to tobacco exposure in China was at a high level, and the high CVD mortality attributable to secondhand smoke caused by high smoking prevalence. China should strengthen tobacco control measures to reduce the burden of CVD.
Identifying risk factors for perinatal death at Tororo District Hospital, Uganda: a case-control study
Authors: Tesfalul Martha , Natureeba Paul , Day Nathan , Thomas Ochar , Gaw Stephanie L 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Background Sub-Saharan Africa faces a disproportionate burden of perinatal deaths globally. However, data to inform targeted interventions on an institutional level is lacking, especially in rural, non-academic settings. The objective of this study is to identify risk factors for perinatal death at a resource-limited hospital in Uganda. Methods This is a case-control study at a district hospital in eastern Uganda using birth registry data. Cases were admissions with stillbirths or neonatal deaths within 7 days of birth. Controls were admissions immediately preceding and following each case. We compared demographic and obstetric factors between cases and controls to identify risk factors for perinatal death. Subgroup analysis of twin compared to singleton gestation was also performed. Chi square, Fisher's exact, T, and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank sum tests were utilized for bivariate analysis, and multiple logistic regression for multivariate analysis. Results From January 2014 to December 2014, there were 185 cases of perinatal death, of which 36% (n=69) were macerated stillbirths, 40% (n=76) were fresh stillbirths, and 25% (n=47) were neonatal deaths. The rate of perinatal death prior to discharge was 35.5 per 1,000 deliveries. Factors associated with increased odds perinatal death included: prematurity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 19.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 7.2-49.2), breech presentation (aOR 7.0, CI 1.4-35.5), multiple gestation (aOR 4.0, CI 1.1 – 13.9), cesarean delivery (aOR 3.8, CI 2.3 – 6.4) and low birthweight (aOR 2.5, CI 1.1-5.3). Fresh stillbirth and neonatal deaths were more associated with nulliparity (p = 0.03), grand multiparity (p = 0.01), low birthweight (p = 0.01) and cesarean delivery (p <0.001) than macerated stillbirths. Subgroup analysis of twin pregnancies revealed that compared to singletons, twins were more likely to have a fresh stillbirth (68.4% vs 36.8%, p = 0.01). Conclusions The rate of perinatal death at a rural district hospital was higher than national rates, and the 67% of cases were fresh stillbirths or neonatal deaths. Significant risk factors for perinatal death were prematurity, breech presentation, and multiple gestation. Targeted interventions to identify these higher risk pregnancies, such as the prenatal identification of twins, may reduce the rate of perinatal death in rural settings.
Research Ethics Training Needs in Thailand and Vietnam
Authors: Wang C Jason , Pulendran Uma Palam , Wise Diana , Thomas-Uribe Monika , Mahaisavariya Punkae , Hoang Yen , Huong Tran Thi Thanh , Trinh Oanh , Luan Nguyen Huy , Vinh Nguyen Nhu , An Pham Le , Huang Andrew T , Wise Paul H. , Cho Mildred K. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Background To describe the types of research being conducted and the availability of research ethics training and research ethics review in Thailand and Vietnam. Methods An English survey with four major domains, Research Area, Societal Conditions, Research Ethics, and Basic Information was translated into Thai and Vietnamese by native training partners from the NIH Fogarty Research Ethics Training Program. Setting/Participants The survey was administered in two modes - an online survey distributed via an email link in Thailand, and an onsite paper survey in Vietnam. Participants were Thai and Vietnamese trainees and investigators from prestigious universities. Results In Thailand, there were 363 respondents (9.3% online response rate); in Vietnam there were 117 survey participants. Among those who conduct research, 81% in Thailand and 92% percent in Vietnam reported that their research involves human subjects. Among human subject researchers, 83% in Thailand reported having ethics training, and among these, only 44% reported having formal training. In Vietnam, 66% reported having research ethics training; among them, 72% had formal training. Human subject research reported include clinical observations (26% from Thailand and 26% from Vietnam) and clinical interventions (29% from Thailand and 26% from Vietnam). Significant proportion of respondents reported that their institutions have guidelines (97% in Thailand; 89% from Vietnam) and have established Institutional Review Boards (92% in Thailand; 77% in Vietnam). 76% and 79% of respondents in Thailand and Vietnam respectively reported no experience in teaching research ethics. Lack of trained research ethics teachers (38% in Thailand and 59% in Vietnam), training materials (34% in Thailand; 43% in Vietnam), and an adequate curricular “delivery platform” (58% in Thailand; 49% in Vietnam) are most pressing issues. Conclusions We identified gaps in research ethics training in these two South East Asian countries undergoing rapid socioeconomic transition and identified future curricular focus opportunities.
Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block for postoperative pain control in patients undergoing unilateral inguinal hernia repair, a comparative study between two approaches.
Authors: Ahmed Abeer , Fawzy Maher , Nasr Mohamed AR. , Hussam Ayman M. , Fouad Eman , Aboeldahb Hesham , Saad Dalia , Osman Safinaz , Fahmy Rania Samir , Farid Mohamed , Waheb Mohsen M. 
Published: September 2019

Abstract
Background : early postoperative ambulation and reduction of hospital stay necessitate efficient postoperative analgesia. Quadrates Lumborum Block (QLB) has been described to provide adequate postoperative analgesia after abdominal surgery. This randomized comparative trial was designed to compare the duration of analgesia provided by two different QLB approaches; the posterior QLB (QLB-2) and transmuscular QLB (QLB-3) in patients undergoing surgical repair of unilateral inguinal hernia.
Methods: Forty patients, aged from 18-50 years, ASA physical status I or II, scheduled for unilateral inguinal hernia repair were enrolled. At the end of the surgical procedure and before recovery from general anesthesia, Patients were randomly assigned into two groups to receive either posterior QLB (Group QLB-2) or transmuscular QLB (Group QLB-3) using 20 ml 0.25% bupivacaine. Duration of analgesia, postoperative VAS and postoperative opioid consumption were recorded.
Results : duration of block was significantly longer in QLB-3 group when compared to QLB-2 group (20.1 + 6.2 hours versus 12.0 + 4.8 respectively) with P value of < 0.001. A statistically significant lower VAS score was recorded in QLB-3 group immediately and 12 hrs postoperative. QLB-3 group showed a statistically significant delayed time of first analgesic request and less postoperative morphine consumption with P value of < 0.001 and 0.001 respectively.
Conclusions : Ultrasound guided postsurgical transmuscular approach of QLB (QLB-3) using 20 ml 0.25% bupivacaine produces more postoperative analgesic effect and less postoperative opioid consumption when compared to posterior QLB approach (QLB-2) in patients underwent unilateral inguinal hernia repair under general anesthesia.
Trial Registration : ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03526731- on 16 May 2018
Decreased Kernel Moisture in Medium‐Maturing Maize Hybrids with High Yield for Mechanized Grain Harvest
Authors: Wang Xingya , Wang Xinglong , Xu Chenchen , Tan Weiming , Wang Pu , Meng Qingfeng 
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACTKernel moisture influences harvest timing and the consequent mechanized harvest of maize (Zea mays L.). To decrease kernel moisture, growth season (the period from sowing to physiological maturity) was usually shortened for new hybrids in China, which also resulted in lower yield. Our objective was to understand the underlying mechanism to achieve both high grain yield and low grain moisture simultaneously for new hybrids. Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 in North China Plain with three different hybrids (ZD958 as the traditional hybrid, JNK728 and DK517 as the new hybrids, and XY335 as the transitional hybrid) under three densities (60,000, 75,000, 90,000 plants ha−1). For new hybrids, growth season was 9 to 12 d shorter than for other hybrids. Under the density of 60,000 plants ha−1, grain yield of new hybrids was 9.1% lower compared with the traditional and transitional hybrids. When the density was increased to 75,000 plants ha−1, grain yield of new hybrids (12.9 Mg ha−1) was similar or even higher. Grain moisture at physiology maturity averaged 272 g kg−1 for new hybrids, similar to the transitional hybrid and 7.5% lower compared with the traditional hybrid. The lower grain moisture mainly resulted from >30% of stover dry matter translocated to grain for new hybrids, similar to the transitional hybrid and 235.0% greater than the traditional hybrids. Furthermore, higher translocation rate was mainly from stalk in late grain‐filling stage. Our study highlighted the importance of yield improvement and the relationship between kernel moisture and dry matter translocation for new hybrids.
Effect of Crop Residue Removal and Straw Addition on Nitrous Oxide Emissions from a Horticulturally Used Soil in South Germany
Authors: Seiz Perik , Guzman‐Bustamante Ivan , Schulz Rudolf , Müller Torsten , Ruser Reiner 
Published: September 2019

Core IdeasThe main aim was to reduce N2O emission through crop residue removal or N immobilization through straw addition in fall.Annual N2O emission was reduced by 74% through removal of vegetable crop residues in fall.N2O emission in the removal treatment was as low as in the unfertilized control.Straw addition in autumn failed to reduce N2O emission (p= 0.057).Vegetable production, such as cauliflower (Brassica oleraceavar.botrytisL.) or broccoli (Brassica oleraceavar.italicaP.), is often associated with high N surpluses, posing the risk for substantial N losses. Straw addition in autumn to immobilize surplus N over winter or removal of vegetable crop residues were shown to reduce nitrate leaching efficiently. However, the effect of these management measures on the release of nitrous oxide (N2O) is still unclear. We determined N2O fluxes from a vegetable field with a silty texture in southern Germany over 2 yr in the following treatments: no N fertilization (−N), conventional N fertilization without (CON), and N fertilization with crop residue removal (−CR) or straw addition (+S). Marketable fresh matter yields and N uptake showed only minor differences among all N‐fertilized treatments. Enhanced N2O fluxes occurred over a period of nearly 6 mo in the first year in autumn and winter after crop residue incorporation. Positive correlations between N2O fluxes and driving soil variables suggested denitrification as the major N2O source. Cumulative N2O emission ranged between 5.2 (−CR) and 37.2 kg N2O–N ha−1yr−1(CON). Crop residue removal reduced N2O emission in CON very efficiently by 74%. Straw addition reduced N2O emission in only 1 yr. The N2O emission factors were 4.3, 1.9, and 3.1 for CON, −CR, and +S, respectively. The high N2O reduction by crop residue removal seems to be promising in terms of mitigation, but long‐term effects, such as missing humus reproduction, should be considered in future studies.
Rye Cover Crop Impacts Soil Properties in a Long‐Term Cotton System
Authors: DeLaune P. B. , Mubvumba P. , Lewis K. L. , Keeling J. W. 
Published: September 2019

Core IdeasSoil nitrate was lower due to a cereal rye cover crop during the active growing season.Infiltration was greater for no‐till with rye cover crop than conventional tillage.After 17 years, no‐till with rye had greater soil organic C than conventional tillage in surface layers.Soil organic C did not differ between no‐till with rye and conventional tillage for subsurface layers.No‐till with rye has potential to alleviate resistance and compaction at subsurface layers.Adoption of conservation tillage in cotton cropping systems lags well behind other major crops in the United States. The Texas High Plains region is the largest cotton‐producing region in the United States and is in an area where soil and water conservation are of utmost importance. There is little information of the impacts of conservation tillage on soil function within this environment, and long‐term studies are critical to understanding potential impacts of implemented practices. As conservation tillage expands in use, understanding the impact of transitioning to such systems on nutrient cycling and soil compaction becomes paramount. Our objective was to quantify the impact of a long‐term no‐till cover crop system on soil chemical and physical properties in a continuous cotton system within a semiarid environment. Two systems implemented in 1998 were evaluated: (1) conventional tillage (CT); and (2) no‐till with a cereal rye cover crop (NT‐rye). Soil NO3–N was significantly lower due to NT‐rye treatments during the active cover crop growing season. However, NO3–N concentrations were not different between tillage treatments in the cotton growing season. Soil organic C (SOC) was significantly greater for NT‐rye in the upper 10 cm, and there were no significant differences for SOC between treatments to a depth of 90 cm. Bulk density and penetration resistance varied by sampling time and depth and infiltration was as much as 34% greater for NT‐rye. No‐till with a rye cover crop can increase surface SOC levels while improving infiltration and penetration resistance in semiarid continuous cotton cropping systems.
Bound Water, Phase Configuration, and Dielectric Damping Effects on TDR‐Measured Apparent Permittivity
Authors: Dyck Miles , Miyamoto Teruhito , Iwata Yukiyoshi , Kameyama Koji 
Published: September 2019

Core Ideas
Frequency‐dependent bound water permittivity influences TDR‐measured Ka.
Predictive power of frequency‐independent dielectric mixing models is limited.
TDR measurements of Ka should be paired with effective frequency measurements.
The time domain reflectometry (TDR) method measures the soil apparent permittivity (Ka), which is the basis for estimation of soil volumetric water content (θ) via an empirical calibration equation or dielectric mixing model. The relationship between Ka and θ [i.e., Ka(θ)] in soils with significant volumetric fractions of bound water and with bimodal pore‐size distributions displays a distinct increase in slope after θ exceeds a threshold value. The interpretation of this change in slope has been aided with application of dielectric mixing models through the inclusion of a bound water phase and/or θ‐dependent changes in phase configuration. However, Ka measured with time‐domain reflectometry (TDR) in soils with significant volumetric fractions of bound water has been previously observed to change as a function of the effective frequency of the soil‐attenuated bandwidth. Therefore, the main objective of this work was to investigate the influence of bound water and phase configuration in four, high‐surface‐area Japanese Andisols with bimodal pore‐size distributions using dielectric mixing models alone or coupled with a dielectric damping model. Soil‐specific Ka(θ) relationships were measured in the laboratory using standard methods and were simulated with two frequency‐independent, real‐valued dielectric mixing models and a complex‐valued, frequency‐dependent model coupled with a dielectric damping model. The results of the simulations indicate that frequency‐dependent dielectric permittivity of the bound water phase significantly influences TDR‐measured Ka(θ), suggesting that soil‐ and probe‐specific calibrations may be required for soils with significant volumetric fractions of bound water.
Boosting Granular Support Vector Machines for the Accurate Prediction of Protein-Nucleotide Binding Sites
Authors: Zhu Yi-Heng , Hu Jun , Qi Yong , Song Xiao-Ning , Yu Dong-Jun 
Published: September 2019

Aim and Objective:The accurate identification of protein-ligand binding sites helps elucidate protein function and facilitate the design of new drugs. Machine-learning-based methods have been widely used for the prediction of protein-ligand binding sites. Nevertheless, the severe class imbalance phenomenon, where the number of nonbinding (majority) residues is far greater than that of binding (minority) residues, has a negative impact on the performance of such machine-learning-based predictors.Materials and Methods:In this study, we aim to relieve the negative impact of class imbalance by Boosting Multiple Granular Support Vector Machines (BGSVM). In BGSVM, each base SVM is trained on a granular training subset consisting of all minority samples and some reasonably selected majority samples. The efficacy of BGSVM for dealing with class imbalance was validated by benchmarking it with several typical imbalance learning algorithms. We further implemented a protein-nucleotide binding site predictor, called BGSVM-NUC, with the BGSVM algorithm.Results:Rigorous cross-validation and independent validation tests for five types of proteinnucleotide interactions demonstrated that the proposed BGSVM-NUC achieves promising prediction performance and outperforms several popular sequence-based protein-nucleotide binding site predictors. The BGSVM-NUC web server is freely available at http://csbio.njust.edu.cn/bioinf/BGSVM-NUC/ for academic use.
Structural and Mechanistic Insights of CRAC Channel as a Drug Target in Autoimmune Disorder
Authors: Bhuvaneshwari Sampath , Sankaranarayanan Kavitha 
Published: September 2019

Background:Calcium (Ca2+) ion is a major intracellular signaling messenger, controlling a diverse array of cellular functions like gene expression, secretion, cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. The major mechanism controlling this Ca2+ homeostasis is store-operated Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels. CRAC channels are integral membrane protein majorly constituted via two proteins, the stromal interaction molecule (STIM) and ORAI. Following Ca2+ depletion in the Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) store, STIM1 interacts with ORAI1 and leads to the opening of the CRAC channel gate and consequently allows the influx of Ca2+ ions. A plethora of studies report that aberrant CRAC channel activity due to Loss- or gain-of-function mutations in ORAI1 and STIM1 disturbs this Ca2+ homeostasis and causes several autoimmune disorders. Hence, it clearly indicates that the therapeutic target of CRAC channels provides the space for a new approach to treat autoimmune disorders.Objective:This review aims to provide the key structural and mechanical insights of STIM1, ORAI1 and other molecular modulators involved in CRAC channel regulation.Results and Conclusion:Understanding the structure and function of the protein is the foremost step towards improving the effective target specificity by limiting their potential side effects. Herein, the review mainly focusses on the structural underpinnings of the CRAC channel gating mechanism along with its biophysical properties that would provide the solid foundation to aid the development of novel targeted drugs for an autoimmune disorder. Finally, the immune deficiencies caused due to mutations in CRAC channel and currently used pharmacological blockers with their limitation are briefly summarized.
Hypericum spp.: An Update on the Biological Activities and Metabolic Profiles
Authors: Marrelli Mariangela , Statti Giancarlo , Conforti Filomena 
Published: September 2019

:
Plants from the genus Hypericum, one genus of the Hypericaceae family, have attracted a
lot of attention for their potential pharmaceutical applications. Most of the studies in the literature focus
on H. perforatum L. (common St. John's wort), whose complex spectrum of bioactive compounds
makes this species one of the top herbal remedies and supplements in the world. It is also important to
compare the studies on other Hypericum species, both from the phytochemical and biological point of
view. The aim of this review was to provide an update of most recent studies about biological investigations
of plants belonging to Hypericum genus. The metabolic profiles of Hypericum spp. were also discussed
in order to present a spectrum of secondary metabolites not previously identified in this genus.
New Insight into Diabetes Management: From Glycemic Index to Dietary Insulin Index
Authors: Yari Zahra , Behrouz Vahideh , Zand Hamid , Pourvali Katayoun 
Published: September 2019

Background:
Despite efforts to control hyperglycemia, diabetes management is still challenging.
This may be due to focusing on reducing hyperglycemia and neglecting the importance of hyperinsulinemia;
while insulin resistance and resultant hyperinsulinemia preceded diabetes onset and
may contribute to disease pathogenesis.

Objective:
The present narrative review attempts to provide a new insight into the management of diabetes
by exploring different aspects of glycemic index and dietary insulin index.

Results:
The current data available on this topic is limited and heterogeneous. Conventional diet therapy
for diabetes management is based on reducing postprandial glycemia through carbohydrate counting,
choosing foods with low-glycemic index and low-glycemic load. Since these indicators are only
reliant on the carbohydrate content of foods and do not consider the effects of protein and fat on the
stimulation of insulin secretion, they cannot provide a comprehensive approach to determine the insulin
requirements.

Conclusion:
Selecting foods based on carbohydrate counting, glycemic index or glycemic load are
common guides to control glycemia in diabetic patients, but neglect the insulin response, thus leading
to failure in diabetes management. Therefore, paying attention to insulinemic response along with glycemic
response seems to be more effective in managing diabetes.