bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of ABO blood groups with ovarian reserve: a retrospective cohort study in Chinese Han women younger than 40 years with infertility
Authors: Sun Xingyu , Sun Chenyu , Meng Muzi , Liu Ling
Published: December 2022

Background

Ovarian reserve reflects both the quantity and quality of oocytes available for procreation and is affected by many known and unknown factors. ABO blood type is related to several infertility processes, but it is unclear whether and how ABO blood type affects ovarian reserve.

Objective

The purpose of the study was to explore the correlation between ABO blood types and ovarian reserve in infertile Chinese Han women under 40 years of age undergoing the in vitro fertilization (IVF)/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) treatment.

Methods

Women aged < 40 years who underwent IVF/ICSI-ET at our institution and had a documented ABO blood type were eligible for this study. In this study, patients were divided into two groups according to the diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) group (AMH < 1.1 ng/mL, AFC < 6) and the non-diminished ovarian reserve (non-DOR) group (AMH ≥ 1.1 ng/mL, AFC ≥ 6). The relationship between ovarian reserve and ABO blood group was determined by correlation analysis.

Results

In this retrospective cohort study, clinical data were collected from 1690 Chinese Han women treated with IVF/ ICSI-ET in hospital records between April 2019 and March 2020 in the affiliated hospital of Southwest Medical University, located in Luzhou, China. The differences in age, duration of infertility, BMI, FSH, FSH / LH, and p (DOR vs non-DOR) for each parameter (DOR vs non-DOR) were statistically significant, and the differences in LH and E2 were not statistically significant. ABO blood groups were most prevalent in the DOR group with O (143, 34.8%) and A (122, 29.7%) and in the non-DOR group with A (428, 33.5%) and O (419, 32.8%). ABO blood groups were most prevalent in the DOR group with O (n = 57, 30.5%) and A (n = 54, 28.9%) and in the non-DOR group with A (n = 335, 34.0%) and O (n = 323, 32.8%) were the most frequent in the non-DOR group.

Conclusions

In this retrospective cohort study, we confirmed the lack of a significant association between ABO blood type and ovarian reserve. Further studies are needed to clarify whether there is any prognostic correlation between ABO blood group and ovarian reserve in women undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET.
Definition of a novel breast tumor-specific classifier based on secretome analysis
Authors: Sirven Philémon , Faucheux Lilith , Grandclaudon Maximilien , Michea Paula , Vincent-Salomon Anne , Mechta-Grigoriou Fatima , Scholer-Dahirel Alix , Guillot-Delost Maude , Soumelis Vassili
Published: December 2022

Background

During cancer development, the normal tissue microenvironment is shaped by tumorigenic events. Inflammatory mediators and immune cells play a key role during this process. However, which molecular features most specifically characterize the malignant tissue remains poorly explored.

Methods

Within our institutional tumor microenvironment global analysis (T-MEGA) program, we set a prospective cohort of 422 untreated breast cancer patients. We established a dedicated pipeline to generate supernatants from tumor and juxta-tumor tissue explants and quantify 55 soluble molecules using Luminex or MSD. Those analytes belonged to five molecular families: chemokines, cytokines, growth factors, metalloproteinases, and adipokines.

Results

When looking at tissue specificity, our dataset revealed some breast tumor-specific characteristics, as IL-16, as well as some juxta-tumor-specific secreted molecules, as IL-33. Unsupervised clustering analysis identified groups of molecules that were specific to the breast tumor tissue and displayed a similar secretion behavior. We identified a tumor-specific cluster composed of nine molecules that were secreted fourteen times more in the tumor supernatants than the corresponding juxta-tumor supernatants. This cluster contained, among others, CCL17, CCL22, and CXCL9 and TGF-β1, 2, and 3. The systematic comparison of tumor and juxta-tumor secretome data allowed us to mathematically formalize a novel breast cancer signature composed of 14 molecules that segregated tumors from juxta-tumors, with a sensitivity of 96.8% and a specificity of 96%.

Conclusions

Our study provides the first breast tumor-specific classifier computed on breast tissue-derived secretome data. Moreover, our T-MEGA cohort dataset is a freely accessible resource to the biomedical community to help advancing scientific knowledge on breast cancer.
Techno-economic analysis of an integrated biorefinery to convert poplar into jet fuel, xylitol, and formic acid
Authors: Seufitelli Gabriel V. S. , El-Husseini Hisham , Pascoli Danielle U. , Bura Renata , Gustafson Richard
Published: December 2022

Background

The overall goal of the present study is to investigate the economics of an integrated biorefinery converting hybrid poplar into jet fuel, xylitol, and formic acid. The process employs a combination of integrated biological, thermochemical, and electrochemical conversion pathways to convert the carbohydrates in poplar into jet fuel, xylitol, and formic acid production. The C5-sugars are converted into xylitol via hydrogenation. The C6-sugars are converted into jet fuel via fermentation into ethanol, followed by dehydration, oligomerization, and hydrogenation into jet fuel. CO2 produced during fermentation is converted into formic acid via electrolysis, thus, avoiding emissions and improving the process’s overall carbon conversion.

Results

Three different biorefinery scales are considered: small, intermediate, and large, assuming feedstock supplies of 150, 250, and 760 dry ktonne of poplar/year, respectively. For the intermediate-scale biorefinery, a minimum jet fuel selling price of $3.13/gallon was obtained at a discount rate of 15%. In a favorable scenario where the xylitol price is 25% higher than its current market value, a jet fuel selling price of $0.64/gallon was obtained. Co-locating the biorefinery with a power plant reduces the jet fuel selling price from $3.13 to $1.03 per gallon.

Conclusion

A unique integrated biorefinery to produce jet fuel was successfully modeled. Analysis of the biorefinery scales shows that the minimum jet fuel selling price for profitability decreases with increasing biorefinery scale, and for all scales, the biorefinery presents favorable economics, leading to a minimum jet fuel selling price lower than the current price for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The amount of xylitol and formic produced in a large-scale facility corresponds to 43% and 25%, respectively, of the global market volume of these products. These volumes will saturate the markets, making them infeasible scenarios. In contrast, the small and intermediate-scale biorefineries have product volumes that would not saturate current markets, does not present a feedstock availability problem, and produce jet fuel at a favorable price given the current SAF policy support. It is shown that the price of co-products greatly influences the minimum selling price of jet fuel, and co-location can further reduce the price of jet fuel.
Characterization of glutamate carboxypeptidase 2 orthologs in trematodes
Authors: Jedlickova Lucie , Peterkova Kristyna , Boateng Enoch Mensah , Ulrychova Lenka , Vacek Vojtech , Kutil Zsofia , Jiang Zhenze , Novakova Zora , Snajdr Ivan , Kim Juan , O’Donoghue Anthony J. , Barinka Cyril , Dvorak Jan
Published: December 2022

Background

Glutamate carboxypeptidase 2 (GCP2) belongs to the M28B metalloprotease subfamily encompassing a variety of zinc-dependent exopeptidases that can be found in many eukaryotes, including unicellular organisms. Limited information exists on the physiological functions of GCP2 orthologs in mammalian tissues outside of the brain and intestine, and such data are completely absent for non-mammalian species. Here, we investigate GCP2 orthologs found in trematodes, not only as putative instrumental molecules for defining their basal function(s) but also as drug targets.

Methods

Identified genes encoding M28B proteasesSchistosoma mansoniandFasciola hepaticagenomes were analyzed and annotated. Homology modeling was used to create three-dimensional models of SmM28B and FhM28B proteins using published X-ray structures as the template. ForS. mansoni, RT-qPCR was used to evaluate gene expression profiles, and, by RNAi, we exploited the possible impact of knockdown on the viability of worms. Enzymes from both parasite species were cloned for recombinant expression. Polyclonal antibodies raised against purified recombinant enzymes and RNA probes were used for localization studies in both parasite species.

Results

Single genes encoding M28B metalloproteases were identified in the genomes ofS. mansoniandF. hepatica. Homology models revealed the conserved three-dimensional fold as well as the organization of the di-zinc active site. Putative peptidase activities of purified recombinant proteins were assayed using peptidic libraries, yet no specific substrate was identified, pointing towards the likely stringent substrate specificity of the enzymes. The orthologs were found to be localized in reproductive, digestive, nervous, and sensory organs as well as parenchymal cells. Knockdown of gene expression by RNAi silencing revealed that the genes studied were non-essential for trematode survival under laboratory conditions, reflecting similar findings for GCP2 KO mice.

Conclusions

Our study offers the first insight to our knowledge into M28B protease orthologs found in trematodes. Conservation of their three-dimensional structure, as well as tissue expression pattern, suggests that trematode GCP2 orthologs may have functions similar to their mammalian counterparts and can thus serve as valuable models for future studies aimed at clarifying the physiological role(s) of GCP2 and related subfamily proteases.

Graphical Abstract
Post-vaccine epidemiology of serotype 3 pneumococci identifies transformation inhibition through prophage-driven alteration of a non-coding RNA
Authors: Kwun Min Jung , Ion Alexandru V. , Cheng Hsueh-Chien , D’Aeth Joshua C. , Dougan Sam , Oggioni Marco R. , Goulding David A. , Bentley Stephen D. , Croucher Nicholas J.
Published: December 2022

Background

The respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a genetically diverse bacterium associated with over 101 immunologically distinct polysaccharide capsules (serotypes). Polysaccharide conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have successfully eliminated multiple targeted serotypes, yet the mucoid serotype 3 has persisted despite its inclusion in PCV13. This capsule type is predominantly associated with a single globally disseminated strain, GPSC12 (clonal complex 180).

Methods

A genomic epidemiology study combined previous surveillance datasets of serotype 3 pneumococci to analyse the population structure, dynamics, and differences in rates of diversification within GPSC12 during the period of PCV introductions. Transcriptomic analyses, whole genome sequencing, mutagenesis, and electron microscopy were used to characterise the phenotypic impact of loci hypothesised to affect this strain’s evolution.

Results

GPSC12 was split into clades by a genomic analysis. Clade I, the most common, rarely underwent transformation, but was typically infected with the prophage ϕOXC141. Prior to the introduction of PCV13, this clade’s composition shifted towards a ϕOXC141-negative subpopulation in a systematically sampled UK collection. In the post-PCV13 era, more rapidly recombining non-Clade I isolates, also ϕOXC141-negative, have risen in prevalence. The low in vitro transformation efficiency of a Clade I isolate could not be fully explained by the ~100-fold reduction attributable to the serotype 3 capsule. Accordingly, prophage ϕOXC141 was found to modify csRNA3, a non-coding RNA that inhibits the induction of transformation. This alteration was identified in ~30% of all pneumococci and was particularly common in the unusually clonal serotype 1 GPSC2 strain. RNA-seq and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR experiments using a genetically tractable pneumococcus demonstrated the altered csRNA3 was more effective at inhibiting production of the competence-stimulating peptide pheromone. This resulted in a reduction in the induction of competence for transformation.

Conclusion

This interference with the quorum sensing needed to induce competence reduces the risk of the prophage being deleted by homologous recombination. Hence the selfish prophage-driven alteration of a regulatory RNA limits cell-cell communication and horizontal gene transfer, complicating the interpretation of post-vaccine population dynamics.
Prediction of the Ki-67 marker index in hepatocellular carcinoma based on Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography with Sonazoid
Authors: Huang Zhe , Zhou PingPing , Li ShanShan , Li Kaiyan
Published: December 2022

Background

Ki-67 is widely used as a proliferative and prognostic factor in HCC. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCE-US) parameters and Ki-67 expression.

Methods

One hundred and twenty patients with histopathologically confirmed HCC who underwent DCE-US were included in this prospective study. Patients were classified according to the Ki-67 marker index into low Ki-67 (< 10%) (n = 84) and high Ki-67 (≥ 10%) groups (n = 36). Quantitative perfusion parameters were obtained and analyzed.

Results

Clinicopathological features (pathological grade and microvascular invasion) were significantly different between the high and low Ki-67 expression groups (p = 0.029 and p = 0.020, respectively). In the high Ki-67 expression group, the peak energy (PE) in the arterial phase and fall time (FT) were significantly different between the HCC lesions and distal liver parenchyma (p = 0.016 and p = 0.025, respectively). PE in the Kupffer phase was significantly different between the HCC lesions and the distal liver parenchyma in the low Ki-67 expression group (p = 0.029). The difference in PE in the Kupffer phase between HCC lesions and distal liver parenchyma was significantly different between the high and low Ki-67 expression groups (p = 0.045). The difference in PE in the Kupffer phase between HCC lesions and distal liver parenchyma < − 4.0 × 107 a.u. may contribute to a more accurate diagnosis of the high Ki-67 expression group, and the sensitivity and specificity were 82.9% and 38.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

The DCE-US parameters have potential as biomarkers for predicting Ki-67 expression in patients with HCC.
FOXO3a-dependent PARKIN negatively regulates cardiac hypertrophy by restoring mitophagy
Authors: Sun Teng , Han Yu , Li Jia-Lei , Jiao Xiang-Ying , Zuo Lin , Wang Jin , Wang Hai-Xiong , Yang Jun-Li , Cao Ji-Min , Wang Jian-Xun
Published: December 2022

Background

Sustained cardiac hypertrophy often develops maladaptive myocardial remodeling, and eventually progresses to heart failure and sudden death. Therefore, maladaptive hypertrophy is considered as a critical therapeutic target for many heart diseases. Mitophagy, a crucial mechanism in mitochondria quality control and cellular homeostasis, has been implicated in diverse cardiac disorders such as myocardial infarction, diabetic cardiomyopathy, cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, what role mitophagy plays in heart diseases remains an enigma. PARKIN functions as an E3 ubiquitin protein ligase and mediates mitophagy cascades. It is still unclear whether PARKIN participates in the regulation of cardiac hypertrophy.

Results

PARKIN was downregulated in cardiomyocytes and hearts under hypertrophic stress. Enforced expression of PARKIN inhibited Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Compared to wide-type mice with Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy, Parkin transgenic mice subjected to Ang II administration showed attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and improved cardiac function. In addition, mitophagy machinery was impaired in response to Ang II, which was rescued by overexpression of PARKIN. PARKIN exerted the anti-hypertrophy effect through restoring mitophagy. In further exploring the underlying mechanisms, we found that PARKIN was transcriptionally activated by FOXO3a. FOXO3a promoted mitophagy and suppressed cardiac hypertrophy by targeting Parkin.

Conclusions

The present study reveals a novel cardiac hypertrophy regulating model composed of FOXO3a, PARKIN and mitophagy program. Modulation of their levels may provide a new approach for preventing cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

Graphical Abstract
Phosphorylation of adducin-1 by TPX2 promotes interpolar microtubule homeostasis and precise chromosome segregation in mouse oocytes
Authors: Zhang Ying , Fan Bingfeng , Li Xiaoxia , Tang Yu , Shao Jing , Liu Lixiang , Ren Yuhe , Yang Yifeng , Xu Baozeng
Published: December 2022

Background

ADD1 (adducin-1) and TPX2 (targeting protein for Xklp2) are centrosomal proteins and regulate mitotic spindle assembly. Mammalian oocytes that segregate homologous chromosomes in Meiosis I and sister chromatids in Meiosis II with a spindle lacking centrosomes are more prone to chromosome segregation errors than in mitosis. However, the regulatory mechanisms of oocyte spindle assembly and the functions of ADD1 and TPX2 in this process remain elusive.

Result

We found that the expression levels and localization of ADD1, S726 phosphorylated ADD1 (p-ADD1), and TPX2 proteins exhibited spindle assembly-dependent dynamic changes during mouse oocyte meiosis. Taxol treatment, which stabilizes the microtubule polymer and protects it from disassembly, made the signals of ADD1, p-ADD1, and TPX2 present in the microtubule organizing centers of small asters and spindles. Knockdown of approximately 60% of ADD1 protein levels destabilized interpolar microtubules in the meiotic spindle, resulting in aberrant chromosome alignment, reduced first polar body extrusion, and increased aneuploidy in metaphase II oocytes, but did not affect K-fiber homeostasis and the expression and localization of TPX2. Strikingly, TPX2 deficiency caused increased protein content of ADD1, but decreased expression and detachment of p-ADD1 from the spindle, thereby arresting mouse oocytes at the metaphase I stage with collapsed spindles.

Conclusion

Phosphorylation of ADD1 at S726 by TPX2 mediates acentriolar spindle assembly and precise chromosome segregation in mouse oocytes.
Whole‐exome sequencing of a Saudi epilepsy cohort reveals association signals in known and potentially novel loci
Authors: Al Anazi Abdulrahman H. , Ammar Ahmed S. , Al-Hajj Mahmoud , Cyrus Cyril , Aljaafari Danah , Khoda Iname , Abdelfatah Ahmed K. , Alsulaiman Abdullah A. , Alanazi Firas , Alanazi Rawan , Gandla Divya , Lad Hetal , Barayan Samar , Keating Brendan J. , Al-Ali Amein K.
Published: December 2022

Background

Epilepsy, a serious chronic neurological condition effecting up to 100 million people globally, has clear genetic underpinnings including common and rare variants. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of epilepsy is high and caused mainly by perinatal and genetic factors. No whole-exome sequencing (WES) studies have been performed to date in Saudi Arabian epilepsy cohorts. This offers a unique opportunity for the discovery of rare genetic variants impacting this disease as there is a high rate of consanguinity among large tribal pedigrees.

Results

We performed WES on 144 individuals diagnosed with epilepsy, to interrogate known epilepsy-related genes for known and functional novel variants. We also used an American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) guideline-based variant prioritization approach in an attempt to discover putative causative variants. We identified 32 potentially causative pathogenic variants across 30 different genes in 44/144 (30%) of these Saudi epilepsy individuals. We also identified 232 variants of unknown significance (VUS) across 101 different genes in 133/144 (92%) subjects. Strong enrichment of variants of likely pathogenicity was observed in previously described epilepsy-associated loci, and a number of putative pathogenic variants in novel loci are also observed.

Conclusion

Several putative pathogenic variants in known epilepsy-related loci were identified for the first time in our population, in addition to several potential new loci which may be prioritized for further investigation.
Availability of best practices for opioid use disorder in jails and related training and resource needs: findings from a national interview study of jails in heavily impacted counties in the U.S.
Authors: Scott Christy K. , Grella Christine E. , Dennis Michael L. , Carnevale John , LaVallee Robin
Published: December 2022

Background

Jails are optimal settings in which to screen individuals for opioid use disorders (OUD) and provide needed services, especially medications for OUD (MOUD). This study sought to assess the availability of OUD “best practices” in jails located in counties heavily impacted by opioid overdose in the U.S. and their related training and resource needs. Counties were selected for study inclusion using two indicators of OUD severity: the absolute number and population rate of opioid overdose deaths. Structured interviews were completed with representatives from 185/244 (76%) of targeted counties and 185/250 (74%) of targeted jails in these counties. Ten OUD best practices were identified based on current treatment and practice guidelines. These include: screening for OUD; clinical assessment; medically managed withdrawal; MOUD administration; MOUD for pregnant people; counseling and wrap-around services; collaboration with community providers; assistance with Medicaid/insurance; re-entry services; and overdose prevention. Descriptive analyses examined the provision of any services and average percentage of services endorsed within best-practice categories, association of best-practice availability with community and jail characteristics, and related needs for training and resources.

Results

Over 70% of jail respondents indicated that some aspects of each of the ten OUD best practices were available within their jails, ranging from 71% using clinical assessment to 96% providing overdose prevention. However, there was considerable variability in the average percentage of items endorsed within each best-practice category, ranging from 38% of items regarding re-entry services to 88% of items regarding medically managed withdrawal. Availability of OUD best practices in jails also varied by community and jail characteristics. Jails reported the highest needs for funding for medication and clinical staff.

Conclusions

Policies are needed to address the identified gaps in availability of OUD best practices within jails. Training, technical assistance, and funding are needed to improve clinical capacity of jails to administer MOUD and to ensure continuity of care from jail to community, which are essential to reducing the risk of opioid-related overdose following release.
A future orientation intervention delivered through a smartphone application and virtual reality: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Mertens Esther C. A. , Siezenga Aniek M. , Tettero Tiffany , van Gelder Jean-Louis
Published: December 2022

Background

Short-term mindsets are associated with self-defeating behaviors, such as delinquency and alcohol use. In contrast, people who consider the longer-term consequences of their decisions tend to report positive outcomes, like feeling more competent and enhanced goal achievement. We evaluate an intervention, FutureU, that aims to stimulate future-oriented thinking, increase goal achievement, and reduce self-defeating behavior, by strengthening people’s identification with their future self. The intervention will be delivered through a smartphone application (app) or immersive Virtual Reality (VR). We test the effectiveness of FutureU for both delivery methods, examine working mechanisms, and identify potential moderators of intervention effects.

Methods

In this Randomized Controlled Trial, a total of 240 first-year university students (n = 80 per condition) will be randomized into one of three conditions: (1) a smartphone condition, (2) a VR condition, and (3) an active control condition. We will assess proximal (i.e., future self-identification) and distal intervention outcomes (e.g., future orientation, self-defeating behaviors, goal achievement), user engagement, and examine usage data and goal content. Assessments will take place at baseline, during the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and at 3- and 6-months follow-up.

Discussion

This study will provide information on the effectiveness of the intervention and allows for comparisons between delivery methods using novel technologies, a smartphone app versus immersive VR. Knowledge gained through this study can be used for further intervention development as well as theory building.

Trial registrationThis trial is registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05578755) on 13 October 2022.
Characterization of degradation and iron deposits of the wood of Nanhai I shipwreck
Authors: Zhang Hongying , Shen Dawa , Zhang Zhiguo , Ma Qinglin
Published: December 2022

Nanhai I shipwreck was a large wooden merchant ship (22.15 m in length and 9.85 m in width) built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279 A.D.) of China, which was heavily loaded with a large number of porcelain and iron artifacts. In the South China Sea, it was found in 1987 and lifted as a whole in 2007. Its excavation provides a precious opportunity to reveal the preservation status of Nanhai I shipwreck. Iron compounds give rise to challenges in conservation procedures and the long-term stability of Nanhai I shipwreck. In this paper, the degradation of the wood and the iron deposits in the wood structure are investigated from the aspects of microscopic morphology, composition, and distribution to evaluate the preservation state of the waterlogged wood. Physical parameters, chemical composition, and the results of elemental analysis, and FTIR analysis suggest that the cellulose of wood is degraded, and the relative concentration of lignin increases. The ash content varies greatly among different samples, and the element of the highest content in ash is iron. The study on transverse and longitudinal sections from samples indicate that the deposits are unevenly concentrated in the cell lumen, middle lamella, rays, and pits of the cell wall. The cell lumen is filled with deposits in areas close to the surface of the samples. The XRD analysis demonstrates that the deposits in wood are mainly iron deposits, containing compounds pyrite (FeS2), siderite (FeCO3), iron oxyhydroxides (FeOOH), and magnetite (Fe3O4). The micro-X-ray Fluorescence mapping analysis suggests that the content of iron is relatively richer while containing less sulfur on the exterior of the sample. The presence of iron deposits accelerates wood degradation and increases the safety hazards of shipwrecks in the preservation process. We hope that our findings can make a modest contribution to iron removal from waterlogged archeological wood and shipwreck conservation.
Minimum dietary diversity and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in Enebsie Sar Midir Woreda, East Gojjam, North West Ethiopia
Authors: Assefa Dejenu , Belachew Tefera
Published: December 2022

Background

Dietary diversity has been recognized as a significant component of high-quality diets for children’s growth and development. Poor infant and young child feeding practices in the first one thousand days of age is the major contributor of malnutrition that leads to failure to thrive to their age, in low-income countries including Ethiopia. It causes long-term consequences of chronic malnutrition, including as stunting, has an impact on intellectual development, and raises the risk of several infectious diseases and death. There was no research done on the dietary diversity of the children in the study area.

Objective

The main objective of this study was to assess minimum dietary diversity and associated factors among children aged from 6-23 months in Enebsie Sar Midir Woreda.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study design was used to assess the minimum dietary diversity and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in Enebsie Sar Midir Woreda, East Gojjam, North West Ethiopia. A total of 512 Mothers/caregivers of children of 6–23 months old in the community were included in the study using a systemic sampling technique. Data were collected by the interviewer-administered structured, pre-tested questionnaire. A 24-hour recall method was used to capture the dietary intake of children during the previous 24 h period before the interview. The data were coded and entered into SPSS for windows version 20 and analyzed after cleaning. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to isolate independent predictors of minimum dietary diversity. All tests were two-sided and P < 0.05 was used for declaring statistical significance.

Results

The overall prevalence of minimum dietary diversity was 18.2% (CI: 14.8, 21.7). The dominant food groups consumed were roots, grains, and tubers. While consumption of vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables and other vegetables were relatively low.

On multivariable logistic regression model, after adjusting for other variables, availability of cow’s milk at household (AOR = 17.27; 95% CI: 6.73, 44.44), cultivating vegetables (AOR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.05, 9.8), availability of farmland (AOR= 10.15, 95%CI: 1.78, 57.93) and number of animals (AOR = 6.46; 95% CI: 1.97, 21.12) were significantly associated with minimum dietary diversity. 

Conclusion

The proportion of infant and young children aged between 6-23months receiving minimum dietary diversity score is low compared with a study conducted in Addis Ababa. Availability of both animal and plant-source foods from household production was positively associated with practicing the minimum dietary diversity among children implying the need for strengthening nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices.
Beta-Adrenergic Receptor Blockade Effects on Cardio-Pulmonary Exercise Testing in Healthy Young Adults: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Forton Kevin , Lamotte Michel , Gillet Alexis , Chaumont Martin , van de Borne Philippe , Faoro Vitalie
Published: December 2022

Background

Beta-blockers are increasingly prescribed while the effects of beta-adrenergic receptor blockade on cardio-pulmonary exercise test (CPET)-derived parameters remain under-studied.

Methods

Twenty-one young healthy adults repeated three CPET at the same time with an interval of 7 days between each test. The tests were performed 3 h after a random, double-blind, cross-over single-dose intake of placebo, 2.5 mg or 5.0 mg bisoprolol, a cardio-selective beta1-adrenoreceptor antagonist. Gas exchange, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were measured at rest and during cyclo-ergometric incremental CPET.

Results

Maximal workload and VO2max were unaffected by the treatment, with maximal respiratory exchange ratio > 1.15 in all tests. A beta-blocker dose-dependent effect reduced resting and maximal BP and HR and the chronotropic response to exercise, evaluated by the HR/VO2 slope (placebo: 2.9 ± 0.4 beat/ml/kg; 2.5 mg bisoprolol: 2.4 ± 0.5 beat/ml/kg; 5.0 mg bisoprolol: 2.3 ± 0.4 beat/ml/kg, p < 0.001). Ventilation efficiency measured by the VE/VCO2 slope and the ventilatory equivalent for CO2 at the ventilatory threshold were not affected by beta1-receptor blockade. Post-exercise chronotropic recovery measured after 1 min was enhanced under beta1-blocker (placebo: 26 ± 7 bpm; 2.5 mg bisoprolol: 32 ± 6 bpm; 5.0 mg bisoprolol: 33 ± 6 bpm, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The present results suggest that a single dose of bisoprolol does not affect metabolism, respiratory response and exercise capacity. However, beta-adrenergic blockade dose dependently reduces exercise hemodynamic response by lowering BP and the chronotropic response.
A functional neuron maturation device provides convenient application on microelectrode array for neural network measurement
Authors: Han Xiaobo , Matsuda Naoki , Ishibashi Yuto , Odawara Aoi , Takahashi Sayuri , Tooi Norie , Kinoshita Koshi , Suzuki Ikuro
Published: December 2022

Background

Microelectrode array (MEA) systems are valuable for in vitro assessment of neurotoxicity and drug efficiency. However, several difficulties such as protracted functional maturation and high experimental costs hinder the use of MEA analysis requiring human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Neural network functional parameters are also needed for in vitro to in vivo extrapolation.

Methods

In the present study, we produced a cost effective nanofiber culture platform, the SCAD device, for long-term culture of hiPSC-derived neurons and primary peripheral neurons. The notable advantage of SCAD device is convenient application on multiple MEA systems for neuron functional analysis.

Results

We showed that the SCAD device could promote functional maturation of cultured hiPSC-derived neurons, and neurons responded appropriately to convulsant agents. Furthermore, we successfully analyzed parameters for in vitro to in vivo extrapolation, i.e., low-frequency components and synaptic propagation velocity of the signal, potentially reflecting neural network functions from neurons cultured on SCAD device. Finally, we measured the axonal conduction velocity of peripheral neurons. Conclusions: Neurons cultured on SCAD devices might constitute a reliable in vitro platform to investigate neuron functions, drug efficacy and toxicity, and neuropathological mechanisms by MEA.
EPMA quantification on the chemical composition of retained austenite in a Fe-Mn-Si-C-based multi-phase steel
Authors: Heo Yoon-Uk , Jeong Chang-Gon , Kim Soo-Hyun , Yoon Gun-Young , Trang T. T. T. , Woo Youngyun , Yoon Eun Yoo , Lee Young-Seon
Published: December 2022

An electron probe X-ray microanalyzer (EPMA) is an essential tool for studying chemical composition distribution in the microstructure. Quantifying chemical composition using standard specimens is commonly used to determine the composition of individual phases. However, the local difference in chemical composition in the standard specimens brings the deviation of the quantified composition from the actual one. This study introduces how to overcome the error of quantification in EPMA in the practical aspect. The obtained results are applied to evaluate the chemical composition of retained austenite in multi-phase steel. Film-type austenite shows higher carbon content than blocky-type one. The measured carbon contents of the retained austenite show good coherency with the calculated value from the X-ray diffraction.
GeneXpert analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples: promising diagnostic modality in patients with smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Rakha Mohammed Abdalla , Ali Asmaa , Hassan Waleed , Al-Anbay Eman
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The aim of the study is to assess the diagnostic utility of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples with GeneXpert test in diagnosis of TB in smear-negative patients.

Method

One-hundred sixty-nine cases were included in this study, as they had a radiological finding suggested to have pulmonary tuberculosis, while the sputum direct smear examination for acid-fast bacilli was negative. All cases prepared to do fiber-optic bronchoscope with bronchoalveolar lavage collection after their consent and post bronchoscope sputum collection for further molecular and microbiological examination.

Results

The combined diagnostic yield of all bronchoscopy procedures was 15.97% (27 cases of 169) and the final diagnosis of TB cases was established in 16 cases of 169 (9.4%) using BAL culture and in 20 cases of 169 (11.83%) by GeneXpert methods. Post bronchoscope direct sputum examination, culture, and GeneXpert evaluation gave diagnostic yield about 1.1%, 5.5%, and 7.1%, respectively. The specificity of GeneXpert examination of BAL and post bronchoscope sputum was 95.42% and 97.38%, respectively.

Conclusion

Early detection of pulmonary tuberculosis using fiber-optic bronchoscope BAL examination and post bronchoscope sputum with GeneXpert method promotes the accurate decision to start antituberculous therapy in patients with smear negative.
Diagnosis and Management of Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: Hehir Michael K. , Li Yuebing
Published: December 2022

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article reviews updated diagnostic procedures and currently available treatment modalities for myasthenia gravis (MG).

RECENT FINDINGS

Patients with MG can be classified based on antibody status and their clinical presentation; treatment responses may differ based on disease subtypes. Improved diagnostic methods and recognition of new antigenic targets such as lipoprotein-related protein 4 have led to improved diagnostic efficiencies. Corticosteroids remain the first-line immunotherapy, but there is a trend toward minimizing their use at high doses and for long durations. Oral immunosuppressants such as mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, and tacrolimus remain useful. An international, multicenter randomized trial comparing thymectomy plus prednisone with prednisone alone demonstrated that thymectomy improves clinical outcomes in selected patients with nonthymomatous MG. Eculizumab, efgartigimod, and ravulizumab have recently been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adult patients with generalized MG who are acetylcholine receptor–antibody positive. These drugs take advantage of novel mechanisms of action and expand treatment options for patients with MG. Data on rituximab suggest that it can be a good option, especially for patients with MG who are positive for antibodies against muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK). The number of clinical trials and drugs in development for MG is steadily increasing.

The diagnosis of MG can generally be made from the patient’s history, a neurologic examination, and laboratory and electrodiagnostic testing. Carefully selected treatment improves outcomes in MG. Additional treatment options for MG will likely be available in the near future.
Myotonic Dystrophy
Authors: Hamel Johanna I.
Published: December 2022

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) are genetic disorders affecting skeletal and smooth muscle, heart, brain, eyes, and other organs. The multisystem involvement and disease variability of myotonic dystrophy have presented challenges for clinical care and research. This article focuses on the diagnosis and management of the disease. In addition, recent advances in characterizing the diverse clinical manifestations and variability of the disease are discussed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Studies of the multisystem involvement of myotonic dystrophy, including the most lethal cardiac and respiratory manifestations and their molecular underpinnings, expand our understanding of the myotonic dystrophy phenotype. Advances have been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms of both types of myotonic dystrophy, providing opportunities for developing targeted therapeutics, some of which have entered clinical trials in DM1.

Continued efforts focus on advancing our molecular and clinical understanding of DM1 and DM2. Accurately measuring and monitoring the diverse and variable clinical manifestations of myotonic dystrophy in clinic and in research is important to provide adequate care, prevent complications, and find treatments that improve symptoms and life quality.
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome and Botulism
Authors: Raja Shruti M.
Published: December 2022

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article reviews the pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) and botulism, presynaptic disorders of neuromuscular transmission in which rapid diagnosis improves long-term outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Therapy for LEMS has seen significant advances in recent years due to the approval of amifampridine-based compounds. LEMS is likely still underdiagnosed, particularly when no underlying malignancy is identified. Clinicians must have a strong suspicion for LEMS in any patient presenting with proximal weakness and autonomic dysfunction. Botulism is another rare disorder of presynaptic neuromuscular transmission that is most commonly associated with improper storage or preservation of food products. Over the past 2 decades, wound botulism has been increasingly reported among users of black tar heroin. A high degree of clinical suspicion and electrodiagnostic studies can be beneficial in distinguishing botulism from other acute neurologic disorders, and early involvement of state and federal health authorities may assist in confirming the diagnosis and obtaining treatment. When botulism is suspected, electrodiagnostic studies can provide clinical evidence of disordered neuromuscular transmission in advance of serologic confirmation, and providers should not wait for confirmation of the diagnosis to initiate treatment.

A targeted clinical history and a thorough neurologic examination with support from serologic and electrodiagnostic studies are key to early diagnosis of LEMS and botulism. Early diagnosis of both conditions creates opportunities for therapy and improves outcomes.
Destroyed Documents and Racial Vulnerability in the Literature of Slavery’s Legal Afterlife
Authors: Sirenko Valerie
Published: December 2022

This article argues that Black writers throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries produced a critical knowledge of how legal documentation functions to produce racialized structures of power and Black vulnerability at law. In literature that reckons with slavery’s legal afterlife, particularly antebellum slave narratives, post-Reconstruction novels, and neo-slave narratives, Black authors frequently represent legal documents as pivotal to legal personhood and theorize how these documents produce vulnerability to violence and dispossession. The adversarial relationship with contract law that Black people have experienced throughout US history has uniquely positioned Black writers to produce a critical knowledge of law’s structures of power. These writers reveal the mechanisms by which legal authorities manipulated the legal contracts that as texts stipulated protections for Black subjects yet in practice failed to accomplish those protections when white legal authorities refused to carry them out. Building on critical race theory and law and literature scholarship, this article proposes a heightened awareness for how race interacts with legal procedure, particularly during the material processes involved in a document’s creation and execution. Focusing on law’s materiality, this article uncovers an understudied literary vein in which Black authors represent documents as materially fragile and vulnerable to destruction in order to theorize law as a series of practices enacted by persons inhabiting bodies marked by race.
Taxonomically Queer?
Authors: Amin Kadji
Published: December 2022

Can taxonomy—a scientific method critiqued for its utility within Western imperial projects of racial and species classification—be queered? This article mines the tensions between the hostility to taxonomy within critical theory and the taxonomical renaissance within contemporary queer, trans, and asexual vernacular systems of classification. Contemporary queer uses of taxonomy express a shared utopian vision of combinatorial queerness, in which sexual, gender, and relational liberation occur through a multiplying menu of increasingly fine-grained identity options. The article examines the untimely echoes between contemporary queer classification systems and German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld's 1910 taxonomy of “sexual intermediaries,” which forwards a combinatorially lush kaleidoscope of sexual and gendered possibilities that outflanks even contemporary developments. The goal is to simultaneously challenge the notion that sexology is contrary to queer projects and to consider the consequences of acknowledging sexology as a living inheritance of contemporary queer and trans culture. The conclusion asks how Native and racialized queers might resist the universalizing logics of taxonomy from within.
The Nexus between Gender-Confirming Surgery and Illness
Authors: Alipour Mehrdad
Published: December 2022

Muslim jurists have issued several fatwas (Islamic legal opinions) permitting gender-confirming surgery (GCS) for various groups of intersex and/or transgender people. However, these fatwas have been critiqued for conceiving of intersex and transgender individuals as diseased people who need treatment for an illness. By closely examining the legal-hermeneutical arguments behind four widely cited fatwas on GCS—the fatwas of the Islamic Fiqh Council of the Muslim World League, the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs, Shaykh Ṭanṭāwī, and Ayatollah Khomeini—this article argues that although the objection to the medicalization of the recipients of GCS in such fatwas is mostly correct, it is not always accurate, as it is not the case in Khomeini’s fatwa. The present study, based on the legal-hermeneutical reasoning established in modern Shiʿi juristic scholarship, proposes a discursive space within Khomeini’s fatwa that suggests that intersex and transgender individuals are not people who suffer from physical or mental illness, although they should be permitted to undergo GCS if they wish.
The Subaltern and the Minor
Authors: Skaria Ajay
Published: December 2022

In conversation with the work of Qadri Ismail, this essay explores the figure of the minor. It suggests that Ismail and others have given that figure a distinctive torsion by imbuing it with the moral aspiration for a freedom and equality no longer centered on sovereignty and autonomy. That aspiration is not new; in parallax ways, both Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi strive for such a freedom and equality. The aspiration is also an implicit stake of the Subaltern Studies tradition, as is manifest in Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's invocation of “love.” The other freedom arising from the love of the minor, the essay suggests, cannot be thought save by way of “religion.” The essay explores how Ambedkar and Gandhi give a distinctive inflection to the conventional association of religion with the sacred and sacrifice. From their thinking of religion, it suggests, a range of concepts and quasi-concepts cascade out, including a distinction between belief as the sovereign form of religion and faith as its nonsovereign form; a distinction between an idealist impossible and a messianic impossible; authority without sovereignty; and political friendship as the comportment proper to the minor.
Valproic acid affects neurogenesis during early optic tectum development in zebrafish
Authors: Dixon Sierra C. , Calder Bailey J. , Lilya Shane M. , Davies Brandon M. , Martin Annalie , Peterson Maggie , Hansen Jason M. , Suli Arminda
Published: December 2022

The mammalian superior colliculus and its non-mammalian homolog, the optic tectum (OT), are midbrain structures that integrate multimodal sensory inputs and guide non-voluntary movements in response to prevalent stimuli. Recent studies have implicated this structure as a possible site affected in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interestingly, fetal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) has also been associated with an increased risk of ASD in humans and animal models. Therefore, we took the approach of determining the effects of VPA treatment on zebrafish OT development as a first step in identifying the mechanisms that allow its formation. We describe normal OT development during the first 5 days of development and show that in VPA-treated embryos, neuronal specification and neuropil formation was delayed. VPA treatment was most detrimental during the first 3 days of development and did not appear to be linked to oxidative stress. In conclusion, our work provides a foundation for research into mechanisms driving OT development, as well as the relationship between the OT, VPA, and ASD.

This article has an associated First Person interview with one of the co-first authors of the paper.