Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between gestational diabetes and biomarkers: a role in diagnosis

Abstract Background: We investigated the association between markers of insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and adipokines and GDM. Methods: In our case-cohort study in Johannesburg we included women with GDM and controls. We tested the ability of biomarkers to identify women at high risk of GDM. Results: Of the 262 pregnant women, 83 (31.7%) had GDM. Women with GDM were heavier (p = 0.04) and had more clinical risk factors (p = 0.008). We found a significant difference in fasting insulin (p < 0.001), adiponectin (p = 0.046), HOMA (p < 0.001) and QUICKI (p < 0.001). HOMA (AUROC = 0.82) or QUICKI (AUROC = 0.82) improved the ability of risk factors to identify women at high risk of GDM. Conclusions: Insulin sensitivity markers are promising tools to identify women at high risk of GDM.
Stability of Tigecycline in Different Types of Peritoneal Dialysis Solutions

♦ Introduction: Intraperitoneal tigecycline is a potential option for the treatment of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis caused by microorganisms resistant to commonly used antibiotics. However, the stability of tigecycline must be assessed in the PD solution before evaluating its safety and therapeutic efficacy in PD-associated peritonitis. The objective of this study was to investigate the stability of tigecycline in 3 types of PD solutions at different temperatures for various time points. ♦ Methods: A total of 27 PD bags (9 PD bags for each type of PD solution; 1.5% glucose, 7.5% icodextrin, and 1.5% glucose pH neutral) containing 2 μg/mL of tigecycline were prepared and stored at either 4, 25, or 37°C. An aliquot was withdrawn immediately before (0 hour) and after pre-defined time points. Each sample was analyzed in duplicate for the concentration of tigecycline using a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Samples were also assessed for pH, color changes, and evidence of precipitation immediately after preparation and on each day of analysis. ♦ Results: Tigecycline in all 3 types of PD solutions retained more than 90% of its initial concentration for at least 216, 72, and 8 hours at 4, 25, and 37°C, respectively. There was no evidence of precipitation at any time under the tested storage conditions. The pH and color of tigecycline admixed PD solutions stored at 4, 25, and 37°C remained essentially unchanged for 336, 96, and 48 hours respectively. ♦ Conclusion: The results obtained from the study provide a platform for future clinical studies aiming to determine the safety and therapeutic efficacy of intraperitoneally administered tigecycline for the treatment of PD-associated peritonitis.
Clinical Characteristics of Patients Carrying the Q703K Variant of the NLRP3 Gene: A 10-year Multicentric National Study

Objective. The aim of our study was to analyze the clinical and functional effect of the p.Q703K (p. Q705K, c. 2107C>A) variant of the NLRP3 gene in a population of patients screened for suspected cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS). Methods. Since 2002, 580 patients underwent molecular analysis for NLRP3. Data on clinical presentation, response to treatment, and longterm followup were collected using a uniform questionnaire. The pattern of cytokine secretion after lipopolysaccharide stimulation from isolated monocytes was analyzed in 3 patients carrying the p.Q703K variant and 1 patient with a chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, articular syndrome phenotype carrying both the p.M406I and p.Q703K, and compared with 7 patients with CAPS with sure pathogenic variants and 6 healthy controls. Results. The p.Q703K variant was found in 57 screened patients with an overall allelic frequency of 5%. The frequency in normal controls was 5.5%. Clinical data at the moment of molecular analysis and at followup were available in 36 patients. Two patients displayed additional mutations of NLRP3. The mean followup was 2.5 years. Thirteen patients (39%) had a final diagnosis different from the original suspicion of CAPS. The remaining 21 patients displayed a mild phenotype mainly characterized by recurrent episodes of urticarial rash and arthralgia. Only 8 patients were treated with anti-interleukin (IL)-1 treatment, with a complete response in 5 patients. The pattern of secretion of IL-1β and other cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1 receptor antagonist) in patients did not display the aberrancies observed in patients with CAPS and was similar to that observed in healthy controls. Conclusion. The present study confirms the weak clinical and functional effect of the p.Q703K variant.
Hydrostatic-pressure-induced changes of magnetic anisotropy in (Ga, Mn)As thin films

The impact of hydrostatic pressure on magnetic anisotropy energies in (Ga, Mn)As thin films with in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic easy axes predefined by epitaxial strain was investigated. In both types of sample we observed a clear increase in both in-plane and out-of-plane anisotropy parameters with pressure. The out-of-plane anisotropy constant is well reproduced by the mean-field p–d Zener model; however, the changes in uniaxial anisotropy are much larger than expected in the Mn–Mn dimer scenario.
Metabolic Profile in Patients with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

BACKGROUND Mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder in adults. However, it is not clear whether mild OSA has significant metabolic complications. This study examined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with mild OSA compared to control group. METHODS Adults (18-65 years of age) of both genders with a body mass index (BMI) ≤35 kg/m2 were included. The mild OSA group comprised of patients with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score of ≥5 but ≤15 events/hr of sleep, independent of other symptoms. The control group (CG) comprised individuals with an AHI of <5 events/hr of sleep and an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of <10. The following were used for both groups: two questionnaires on sleepiness, the maintenance of wakefulness test, and full-night polysomnography. Anthropometric measurements and fasting blood samples were obtained, including fasting glucose and insulin, total cholesterol and its subfractions [low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c)], triglycerides (TG), and the TG/HDL-c ratio. In addition, the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index and homeostasis model assessment indices were calculated. RESULTS Thirty-two percent of mild OSA patients had MS, 43.5% of mild OSA patients had hypertension, 14% showed dyslipidemia, and 56% had prediabetes. The OSA group showed increased TG (CG: 90.0 ± 51.9 vs. OSA: 140.3 ± 78.2 mg/dL, P = 0.004), and TG/HDL-c (CG: 1.9 ± 1.4 vs. OSA: 3.1 ± 2.0, P = 0.05), independent of adjustments. Independent of obesity (BMI <30 kg/m2), there was a negative correlation between total cholesterol and TG with mean oxygen saturation, independent of obesity (BMI <30 kg/m2). CONCLUSIONS Our findings showed dysregulation in lipid profiles after adjustments for confounders in the mild OSA group, and there was a correlation between these parameters and sleep hypoxemia. The TG/HDL-c ratio in particular was high, suggesting that it might be investigated as a marker of a detrimental metabolic profile in these patients.
Ermittlung des Arbeitszeitbedarfs am Beispiel des Wiegens bei Mastschweinen

Durch neue verfahrenstechnische Losungen oder verbesserte Produktionsverfahren andern sich auch der Arbeitszeitbedarf und damit verbunden die Produktionskosten. Um die Wirkung derartiger Anderungen schnell und effizient quantifizieren zu konnen, entwickelt das KTBL ein Kalkulationssystem, das auf einem objektrelationalen Datenbankmanagementsystem basiert. Dieses erlaubt die Modellierung der Planzeitwerte und -funktionen, die auf Erhebungen nach der Zeitelementmethode basieren.
Levodopa‐carbidopa intestinal gel therapy after deep brain stimulation

DBS or jejunal infusion of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) may improve the motor complications of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although STN or globus pallidus internus (GPi) DBS are established DBS targets, uncontrolled motor complications or axial symptoms may reappear over time. Only two studies have described the combined use of LCIG and STN DBS. We report on a series of PD cases treated with LCIG therapy while on DBS of different targets, particularly investigating whether their combined outcome was influenced by DBS results. Seven cases on LCIG for 1.4 6 0.5 years are included (Supplementary Table 1). They underwent DBS 5.1 6 3.5 years before LCIG. Cases 1 to 3 underwent bilateral STN DBS, case 4 unilateral STN DBS because of a poor cognitive status, and case 5 unilateral GPi DBS because of age and presence of a right frontal meningioma. Cases 6 and 7 underwent DBS of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). When comparing patients’ features before DBS, after DBS, and after LCIG, we detected a significant reduction of motor fluctuations (Fig. 1). By analyzing DBS effects on motor signs (Supplementary Tables 1 and 2), cases 1 to 3 were considered successfully treated, although they later developed unpredictable motor complications along with depression (cases 1 and 3) or axial motor signs (case 2). Cases 4 and 5 failed to respond to multiple sessions of DBS reprogramming and attempted optimization of oral therapy. PPN DBS significantly improved of freezing of gait and balance in case 6, who later developed motor fluctuations unresponsive to stimulation. Case 7 did not benefit from PPN DBS. When analyzing the effects of LCIG, both groups improved in terms of fluctuations, but dyskinesias only improved in cases successful treated with DBS (Fig. 1). Suboptimal outcomes of DBS are caused by a variety of factors, including wrong patient’s selection and the use of an experimental or unilateral target. In other cases, disease progression could only be managed with high stimulation amplitudes, which may result in disabling side effects. Various rescue procedures, including stimulating a different intracranial target, have been reported. We found that LCIG improves motor fluctuations in spite of the target and results of DBS, but that best outcome is observed in patients who had previously undergone bilateral STN DBS, as confirmed by the only two studies describing the combination use of LCIG and DBS. This finding is also in keeping with a previous study showing that patients on STN DBS are less prone to develop dyskinesias when challenged with high doses of L-dopa. Two of our cases had unilateral DBS procedure attributed to surgical contraindications, when LCIG was not available in Canada. We also presented 2 cases that received an experTABLE 1. Demographic, pathologic and olfactory screening characteristics across various neurological conditions
Factor structure of the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire over the first year following mild traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT Background: We examined the factor structure of the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire (RPQ), the most commonly used measure of post-concussive symptoms, over the first year post-injury. Method: Factor analysis (orthogonal rotation) was used to examine the RPQ items that form coherent subsets/factors within 2-weeks, and 1, 6, and 12-months post-mTBI in 527 adults (age >16 years). Results: At baseline, three factors accounted for 63.95% of the variance; factor 1 reflected cognitive and physiological disturbances; factor 2 included items reflecting mood, sleep, and nausea/vomiting; and factor 3 included visual/auditory disturbances, dizziness, and headaches. At 1 month, three factors were again extracted (63.26% variance). Factor 1 reflected cognitive and mood symptoms, factor 2 reflected mood with headache, nausea, and dizziness; and factor 3 reflected visual disturbances. Two factors were obtained at 6 and 12 months (63.7% and 63.38% of variance): factor 1 included mood/cognitive items, restlessness, sleep disturbance, and noise sensitivity; whereas, factor 2 included physiological symptoms. Conclusions: The factor structure of the RPQ changes over time; however, it was relatively stable from 6 to 12-months post-injury. Subject to further evaluation, assessments conducted from 6 months could consider using these two factors as subscales. Changing the factor structure of RPQ before 6 months suggests that timing of assessment should be considered in applying these factors.
One evidence base; three stories: do opioids relieve chronic breathlessness?

The efficacy of low-dose systemic opioids for chronic breathlessness was questioned by the recent Cochrane review by Barnes et al. We examined the reasons for this conflicting finding and re-evaluated the efficacy of systemic opioids. Compared with previous meta-analyses, Barnes et al reported a smaller effect and lower precision, but did not account for matched data of crossover trials (11/12 included trials) and added a risk-of-bias criterion (sample size). When re-analysed to account for crossover data, opioids decreased breathlessness (standardised mean differences −0.32; −0.18 to −0.47; I2=44.8%) representing a clinically meaningful reduction of 0.8 points (0–10 numerical rating scale), consistent across meta-analyses.
Formation of a direct arterial blood supply to the anterior pituitary gland following complete or partial interruption of the hypophyseal portal vessels.

If regions of the anterior pituitary gland received systemic blood via a direct arterial blood supply these regions would escape hypothalamic regulation and thus be a sequela in endocrine disorders. Since, in the untreated rat, all of the blood supply to the anterior pituitary gland is via the hypophyseal portal vessels, we hypothesized that partial interruption of the portal vessels could provoke the establishment of a direct arterial blood supply (arteriogenesis). We utilized the injection of polystyrene microspheres (15 or 9 micron diameter) into the left ventricle of the heart to test this hypothesis. Microspheres are trapped in the first capillary plexus they reach since they are too large to traverse the capillaries. No microspheres reached the anterior pituitary gland of control rats, a finding consistent with the fact that the anterior pituitary gland receives all of its blood supply via the hypophyseal portal blood vessels. Microspheres were observed in the primary portal capillary plexus in the infundibulum (median eminence), infundibular stalk (pituitary stalk), and infundibular process (pars nervosa), the first capillary plexus which they reached. A lesion of the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) which destroyed the long portal vessels did not result in arteriogenesis since few, if any, microspheres were observed in the anterior pituitary gland. We confirmed, using vascular casts, that these lesions resulted in the long-term destruction of the primary portal capillaries in the infundibulum and of the long portal vessels. In MBH-lesioned animals it appears that all of the blood supply of the anterior pituitary gland is via short portal vessels arising from the infundibular stem and process. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Relay node selection for cooperative wireless systems using the bidder's game

In this paper, a new strategy for selecting the most suitable partner in a cooperative wireless communication system, using a type of game called the Bidding game is proposed. In this game, in which the conventional theories of economic auction are applied, the cooperative communication network is modeled as a single-node, multi-relay system in which the source node acts as the auctioneer while the relay nodes or partners act as the bidders in the game. The resource being auctioned here is power, and the relay which offers the highest bid in terms of price is selected and allocated power by the source node. Results show that like what happens in conventional bidding process, the higher the price a relay can pay, the higher the amount of power that the source node will be willing to sell, and by extension, the higher the utility of the source node. It is also seen in the results that the relay node closest to the destination node gives the highest utility to the source and thus the highest chance of being selected in the cooperative process; all with the intent of improving the transmit diversity of the network.
Effect of chronic crowding and cold on the pituitary-adrenal system: responsiveness to an acute stimulus during chronic stress.

The effects of chronic exposure to crowding or cold stress were assessed in male rats over a period of 8 weeks. Body growth was inhibited by both conditions. Anterior pituitary weights decreased after 2 weeks of either treatment, but by 8 weeks the glands of cold exposed rats had hypertrophied. Cold resulted in a sustained adrenal and testicular hypertrophy, whereas crowding had no such effect. Plasma and adrenal corticosterone levels were elevated after 1 week of cold or crowding, followed by a marked reduction after 8 weeks in cold-exposed animals only. Plasma ACTH remained unchanged until 8 weeks when it started rising in both groups of animals. The data obtained in these experiments indicate that the pituitary-adrenal system responds to chronic stress neither by stabilization at a new steady state nor by a return to a period of normalcy, at least within the 8 weeks of exposure studied. The responsiveness of these chronically stressed animals to an additional acute stressful stimulus (1 min of ether) was also evaluated. Crowding depressed both the plasma and adrenal corticosterone response to ether anesthesia at 1 week. Cold exposure enhanced the plasma corticosterone response at all intervals (1–8 weeks) studied and enhanced the ACTH response at 1 and 2 weeks.
Editor’s Highlight: In Utero Exposure to Gadolinium and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes in Premature Infants

Gadolinium is a toxic rare earth element that is used as a contrast enhancement agent for diagnostic medical imaging. However, because of safety concerns to the developing fetus derived from preclinical studies, gadolinium can only be used during pregnancy if the potential benefits justify the potential risks to a fetus. Because there are no previous well designed safety studies on the developing fetus, we aimed to evaluate the potential adverse effects of in utero gadolinium exposure in high-risk premature infants. We performed a prospective dose (cord blood gadolinium concentration) - response (outcomes) study involving 104, 24-33 weeks gestational age (GA) infants. The mean (range) cord blood gadolinium concentration of infants measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry was 191 (3.4-3729.6) pg/ml. The association between cord blood gadolinium concentration and each neonatal outcome was evaluated using linear or logistic regression analysis. The GA, race, gender, and antenatal steroid exposure were considered priori confounders. Recent adult human studies have shown that gadolinium exposure may be associated with nephrotoxicity. However, we found no adverse effects on renal function or other common outcomes including degree of prematurity, small for GA, respiratory distress syndrome, hyperbilirubinemia, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, patent ductus arteriosus, chronic lung disease, retinopathy of prematurity, and osteopenia of prematurity during the neonatal period with an increase in cord blood gadolinium concentration. None of the infants had clinically evident congenital malformations. In conclusion, gadolinium use during pregnancy is unlikely to be associated with adverse effects in infants during the neonatal period.
Pathophysiologic Mechanisms in the Development of Age-Related White Matter Changes of the Brain

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has dramatically enhanced our capability of detecting age-related changes of the brain even before they become clinically apparent. Among those are preferentially alterations of the white matter in periventricular, deep and subcortical locations which display high signal intensity on both proton density- and T2-weighted images. Correlative histopathologic findings show hyperintense periventricular capping of the frontal horns to reflect predominantly a specific anatomic situation characterized by loosely arranged fine-fiber tracts with low myelin and high extracellular fluid content. A smooth halo of periventricular hyperintensity has been linked to disruption of the ependymal lining with subependymal gliosis and concomitant loss of myelin. In contrast, punctate, early confluent and confluent hyperintensities in the deep and subcortical white matter as well as irregular periventricular hyperintensity appear to be of vascular origin. Punctate lesions tend to correspond to a perivascular reduction in myelin content with atrophy of the neuropil and seem to constitute a negligeable extent of tissue damage from low permeability through thickened arteriolar walls. Early confluent and confluent hyperintensities, however, indicate more extensive ischemic damage consistent with advanced microangiopathy.
Elementary Students’ Views and Experiences on Sport Education in Cyprus

Sport education is a curriculum and instructional model designed to offer authentic, educationally rich sport experiences for girls and boys in the context of school physical education (Siedentop, 1994; Siedentop, Hastie, & Van der Mars, 2004). The literature on sport education suggests that most of the studies examining its effectiveness are within middle or secondary schools and there are fewer studies on the perceptions or representations of the model by students in primary settings (Hastie, Ojeba, & Luquin, 2011; Kinchin, 2006; Wallhead & O’Sullivan, 2005). This study presents findings related to primary students’ representations and practices of sport education. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to explore and describe Greek-Cypriot students’ perceptions and experiences of a basketball season that followed a sport education format. Twenty-two (22) year—6 students (11- to 12-year-old), 12 boys and 10 girls, from a public primary school in Cyprus, participated in the sport education unit which lasted thirteen (13) lessons. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, observations, and documents (unit and lesson plans) and were later analysed inductively (Patton, 2001). Results suggested that students in this study were successfully affiliated within their teams and appropriate opportunities were created for autonomous and meaningful learning. In addition, findings revealed that during the lessons there was a joyful and positive atmosphere which enabled all members to work hard as a whole in order to achieve their goals. Based on our results we have drawn the following two conclusions: first, the model of sport education enhanced the level of participation and motivation of students towards physical education; se- cond, the participants in this study encountered meaningful learning experiences during the implementation of the sport education model.