bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROMOSI DAN PENDIDIKAN KESEHATAN MATAHARI (MARI KITA JAGA KEBERSIHAN DIRI) PADA ANAK USIA SEKOLAH
Authors: Gusgus Ghraha Ramdhanie Gusgus Ghraha Ramdhanie , Ema Arum Rukmasari Ema Arum Rukmasari
Published: August 2023

Personal hygiene in children is an important thing and must be considered in everyday life. Improper personal hygiene can cause various diseases and health problems. So that the behavior of maintaining good and correct personal hygiene needs to be given to children so that they can help prevent germs and viruses that cause disease. Therefore, personal hygiene behavior needs to be habituated from an early age so that children get used to doing it at home, school, or when they play. The method used in community service activities is the method of education and health promotion which is carried out face to face at the activity location which is located at SDIT Imam Bukhari, Jatinangor District, Bandung Regency. Methods of delivering material with demonstrations, lectures, discussions, and questions and answers. The activity was entitled "MATAHARI" namely Let's Take Care of Personal Hygiene, which aims to provide education for SDIT students about how to maintain good and correct personal hygiene. Health education and promotion activities went well and smoothly, which was attended by 25 SDIT students. The results of the post-test carried out after the presentation showed that it was in accordance with the indicators of success that had been formulated, namely that 70% of participants were able to complete the post-test with a score above 75 points
THE ANALYSIS OF AFFECTIVE FACTORS ENHANCEMENT ON EFL TEACHING ACTIVITY
Authors: Purnawati Purnawati , Kurniawan Andri , Shopia Khilda
Published: August 2023

Learning English has its own challenge for Junior High school students in Indonesia. One of the ways to cope with the challenges is by enhancing students’ affective factors such as self-confidence, language ego, risk-taking willingness, and connecting with first language culture. However, researches on these types of affective factors are insufficient thus the researchers were interested to conduct research on the topic. The current study was implementing the narrative qualitative method, where EFL teaching activity was observed. It intended to analyze the teachers’ effort to develop EFL students’ affective variables. The EFL class observed the 9th grade of a private junior high school in West Java which was involving one EFL teacher and 29 students. The research shows that teachers did give favor the development of students’ affective variables as many as 32% from the lists observed. However, it is not sufficient, not programmed, and not systematical. The researchers suggest the educators systematically enhance students’ affective factors in the classroom setting. For further research, it is recommended to conduct research related to the effective factors with broader scopes and samples.

Keywords: Affective Factors, Affective enhancement, EFL Students, Teacher Effort
RANCANG BANGUN SISTEM E-ADMINISTRASI BERBASIS CODEIGNITER FRAMEWORK DI KP2A BATAM
Authors: Lim Nurfitra Efriansyah , Silalahi Mesri
Published: August 2023

This study aims to design and build an e-administration information system based on the CodeIgniter framework at KP2A Batam to solve administrative problems. Some of the administrative services currently being carried out by KP2A are registration of prospective students who wish to join KP2A, payment of monthly course fees, payment of book fees, photocopy fees, and expenses. The problem currently being faced by KP2A is in its administrative activities, starting from the admin recording the names of prospective students on paper, recording payment for books on paper, recording photocopy costs on paper, and recording expenses used to support teaching activities. everything is done by hand. The problem that often arises is one of them is the payment of fees that are not by the truth or a partial payment arises. From these problems, an e-administration information system was built that can make stored old and new data more organized and safer, prevent partial payment problems, and reduce errors in reporting. The method used is SDLC with the development of an agile scrum model. Research is expected to have a positive impact on readers, writers, and research objects.
SISTEM INFORMASI ABSENSI RFID BERBASIS WEB MENGGUNAKAN ESP32 DI PT DHARMA SENTOSA MARINDO
Authors: Chandra Chandra , Amrizal Amrizal
Published: August 2023

In today's era, human daily activities cannot be separated from the use of technology. One of them is business activities. PT Dharma Sentosa Marindo is a company engaged in the shipyard industry. So far, the attendance administration records at PT Dharma Sentosa Marindo still use paper media which are then processed and stored on a computer manually. This makes the attendance process slower and less accurate, causing delays in generating attendance reports. This study aims to design an attendance information system at PT Dharma Sentosa Marindo to increase the speed and accuracy of recording attendance administration at PT Dharma Sentosa Marindo. The system design method uses the scrum method which uses the principles of agile development methodology. The results of system testing using the blackbox testing method show that the designed system has run smoothly and as expected
IMPLEMENTASI APLIKASI E-WALLET UNTUK UMKM MENGGUNAKAN METODE AGILE DENGAN QR CODE PADA TENSORFLOW BERBASIS ANDROID
Authors: Auric Auric , Pangaribuan Hotma
Published: August 2023

Receh is designed to make learning easier for those who have trouble learning applications that are too complex to use. The author is ready to help small merchants who want to integrate digital payments. To introduce this project, first of all we were worried about the reduced cash payments and switched to E-wallet since the COVID-19 pandemic. The reason the author made this application is to make it easier for those who have difficulty learning applications that are too complex to be very simple and easy to use. Some target markets need the solutions provided by the author. According to the data, internet usage will increase from year to year. The author provides a solution that makes it easy for customers to use E-wallet as the primary payment method for their applications. The method used in the E-wallet application is the Agile Method because this method prioritizes the advantages of technical features when implementing the software. For the implementation here I use a QR code scanner as its main function because it is simple and practical. Scan can encode QR Code from any side or any position. This model is then used in Android Studio to build mobile applications using the Kotlin programming language. For cloud computing, first, research the service or backend required by the application. Second, create a private API using node.js. Finally, implement APIs built for online compute engines.
IMPLEMENTASI FUZZY LOGIC DALAM MENENTUKAN HARGA PERBAIKAN ALTERNATOR MENGGUNAKAN METODE MAMDANI
Authors: Deni Irwansyah , Handoko Koko
Published: August 2023

The alternator is the component of the generator that produces electricity. A short circuit in the alternator causes a surge in electric current so that it can cause an explosion of sparks, it is necessary to prevent an electric short circuit so that maintenance is needed to repair the alternator. Problems in making decisions also occur in companies, in transactions that are used by companies that are still done manually, in determining the price of alternator repairs it is still based on estimates and during the price determination process you have to wait for confirmation from the company's leadership so that the process takes longer and the error rate is relatively high. Fuzzy logic mamdani one method that can be used to overcome this problem. This research will get the best price quickly and minimize the error rate in pricing and adapt it to the implementation design in MATLAB. In the process of determining the repair price, several weighted criteria are required as input variables, namely alternator capacity, level of difficulty and warranty period, which will then produce output variables, namely alternator repair prices. This study aims to assist companies in determining the price of alternator repairs.
RANCANG BANGUN APLIKAIS PEMESANAN AIR GALON PADA DEPOT WINDY BERBASIS ANDROID
Authors: Laia Darman Hati , Silalahi Mesri
Published: August 2023

ABSTRACT

 

Water is one of the primary needs in human life, starting from daily activities such as drinking, bathing, cooking, to the field of industrial processing on a large scale, therefore good quality water is needed. Depot Windy is a refill drinking water business produced by PT. Lautan Bening which has been operating since 2016, with daily sales of around 200-300 gallons issued from 07.00 AM - 19.00 PM. However, there are problems related to the distribution of information between administrators, delivery staff and customers, so unwanted things often occur, such as gallons being stolen, gallons not being picked up, and payment transactions being delayed. In this journal, the author describes the development of an android-based gallon water ordering application using the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycles) method and the Waterfall development method which is connected via the user's cellphone. By creating good communication facilities, it can make it easier for sellers and customers to make transactions online and in real time, make it easier for customers to know the availability of gallons of water, and achieve the company's long-term goal of increasing sales.
COVID-19 and hearing loss—A narrative review
Authors: Feng Sharon J. , Voruz François , Yu Michelle , Lalwani Anil K.
Published: August 2023

Interest in hearing loss associated with COVID-19 has increased since the pandemic started. Early on during the spread of SARS-CoV-2 across the globe, reports of smell and taste disorders secondary to COVID-19 emerged, and to a lesser extent, reports of sensorineural hearing loss also surfaced. This raised questions regarding changes in the epidemiology of hearing loss and modifications to otologic practice that have evolved in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To elucidate these questions, we performed a comprehensive literature search, including articles up to November 2022, using “COVID hearing loss” in MEDLINE. A total of 153 articles were included for full-text review and data extraction. There are several proposed mechanisms through which COVID-19 may contribute to hearing loss—direct viral infection, microthrombi, or hemorrhage. There is a growing repository of case reports and series on SARS-CoV-2-associated sensorineural hearing loss, with variable quality. Most patients who experienced hearing loss did so within a month of infection, with most patients' symptoms resolving within 2 weeks. The growing body of literature discussing SARS-CoV-2-associated hearing loss does not suggest a significant rise in the occurrence of sensorineural or overall hearing loss. In this ongoing COVID-19 era, hearing loss should be approached in the same state-of-the-art manner as before the pandemic.
The salamander blastema within the broader context of metazoan regeneration
Authors: Tajer Benjamin , Savage Aaron M. , Whited Jessica L.
Published: August 2023

Throughout the animal kingdom regenerative ability varies greatly from species to species, and even tissue to tissue within the same organism. The sheer diversity of structures and mechanisms renders a thorough comparison of molecular processes truly daunting. Are “blastemas” found in organisms as distantly related as planarians and axolotls derived from the same ancestral process, or did they arise convergently and independently? Is a mouse digit tip blastema orthologous to a salamander limb blastema? In other fields, the thorough characterization of a reference model has greatly facilitated these comparisons. For example, the amphibian Spemann-Mangold organizer has served as an amazingly useful comparative template within the field of developmental biology, allowing researchers to draw analogies between distantly related species, and developmental processes which are superficially quite different. The salamander limb blastema may serve as the best starting point for a comparative analysis of regeneration, as it has been characterized by over 200 years of research and is supported by a growing arsenal of molecular tools. The anatomical and evolutionary closeness of the salamander and human limb also add value from a translational and therapeutic standpoint. Tracing the evolutionary origins of the salamander blastema, and its relatedness to other regenerative processes throughout the animal kingdom, will both enhance our basic biological understanding of regeneration and inform our selection of regenerative model systems.
Mitochondrial DNA mutations can influence the post-implantation development of human mosaic embryos
Authors: Ijuin Akifumi , Ueno Hiroe , Hayama Tomonari , Miyai Shunsuke , Miyakoshi Ai , Hamada Haru , Sueyoshi Sumiko , Tochihara Shiori , Saito Marina , Hamanoue Haruka , Takeshima Teppei , Yumura Yasushi , Miyagi Etsuko , Kurahashi Hiroki , Sakakibara Hideya , Murase Mariko
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Several healthy euploid births have been reported following the transfer of mosaic embryos, including both euploid and aneuploid blastomeres. This has been attributed to a reduced number of aneuploid cells, as previously reported in mice, but remains poorly explored in humans. We hypothesized that mitochondrial function, one of the most critical factors for embryonic development, can influence human post-implantation embryonic development, including a decrease of aneuploid cells in mosaic embryos.

Methods: To clarify the role of mitochondrial function, we biopsied multiple parts of each human embryo and observed the remaining embryos under in vitro culture as a model of post-implantation development (n = 27 embryos). Karyotyping, whole mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, and mtDNA copy number assays were performed on all pre- and post-culture samples.

Results: The ratio of euploid embryos was significantly enhanced during in vitro culture, whereas the ratio of mosaic embryos was significantly reduced. Furthermore, post-culture euploid and culturable embryos had significantly few mtDNA mutations, although mtDNA copy numbers did not differ.

Discussion: Our results indicate that aneuploid cells decrease in human embryos post-implantation, and mtDNA mutations might induce low mitochondrial function and influence the development of post-implantation embryos with not only aneuploidy but also euploidy. Analyzing the whole mtDNA mutation number may be a novel method for selecting a better mosaic embryo for transfer.
Nox1-based NADPH oxidase regulates the Par protein complex activity to control cell polarization
Authors: Valdivia Alejandra , Duran Charity , Lee Mingyoung , Williams Holly C. , Lee Moo-Yeol , San Martin Alejandra
Published: August 2023

Cell migration is essential for many biological and pathological processes. Establishing cell polarity with a trailing edge and forming a single lamellipodium at the leading edge of the cell is crucial for efficient directional cell migration and is a hallmark of mesenchymal cell motility. Lamellipodia formation is regulated by spatial-temporal activation of the small GTPases Rac and Cdc42 at the front edge, and RhoA at the rear end. At a molecular level, partitioning-defective (Par) protein complex comprising Par3, Par6, and atypical Protein Kinase (aPKC isoforms ζ and λ/ι) regulates front-rear axis polarization. At the front edge, integrin clustering activates Cdc42, prompting the formation of Par3/Par6/aPKC complexes to modulate MTOC positioning and microtubule stabilization. Consequently, the Par3/Par6/aPKC complex recruits Rac1-GEF Tiam to activate Rac1, leading to lamellipodium formation. At the rear end, RhoA-ROCK phosphorylates Par3 disrupting its interaction with Tiam and inactivating Rac1. RhoA activity at the rear end allows the formation of focal adhesions and stress fibers necessary to generate the traction forces that allow cell movement. Nox1-based NADPH oxidase is necessary for PDGF-induced migration in vitro and in vivo for many cell types, including fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Here, we report that Nox1-deficient cells failed to acquire a normal front-to-rear polarity, polarize MTOC, and form a single lamellipodium. Instead, these cells form multiple protrusions that accumulate Par3 and active Tiam. The exogenous addition of H2O2 rescues this phenotype and is associated with the hyperactivation of Par3, Tiam, and Rac1. Mechanistically, Nox1 deficiency induces the inactivation of PP2A phosphatase, leading to increased activation of aPKC. These results were validated in Nox1y/- primary mouse aortic smooth muscle cells (MASMCs), which also showed PP2A inactivation after PDGF-BB stimulation consistent with exacerbated activation of aPKC. Moreover, we evaluated the physiological relevance of this signaling pathway using a femoral artery wire injury model to generate neointimal hyperplasia. Nox1y/- mice showed increased staining for the inactive form of PP2A and increased signal for active aPKC, suggesting that PP2A and aPKC activities might contribute to reducing neointima formation observed in the arteries of Nox1y/- mice.
JAK/STAT signaling in diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Liu Yingjun , Wang Wenkuan , Zhang Jintao , Gao Shuo , Xu Tingting , Yin Yonghui
Published: August 2023

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most important microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) worldwide. The Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of the transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway, which is out of balance in the context of DKD, acts through a range of metabolism-related cytokines and hormones. JAK/STAT is the primary signaling node in the progression of DKD. The latest research on JAK/STAT signaling helps determine the role of this pathway in the factors associated with DKD progression. These factors include the renin–angiotensin system (RAS), fibrosis, immunity, inflammation, aging, autophagy, and EMT. This review epitomizes the progress in understanding the complicated explanation of the etiologies of DKD and the role of the JAK/STAT pathway in the progression of DKD and discusses whether it can be a potential target for treating DKD. It further summarizes the JAK/STAT inhibitors, natural products, and other drugs that are promising for treating DKD and discusses how these inhibitors can alleviate DKD to explore possible potential drugs that will contribute to formulating effective treatment strategies for DKD in the near future.
Zn nutrients-loaded chitosan nanocomposites and their efficacy as nanopriming agents for maize (Zea mays) seeds
Authors: Zungu Bongiwe , Kamdem Paumo Hugues , Gaorongwe Joseph Lesibe , Tsuene Gaborone Neo , Ruzvidzo Oziniel , Katata-Seru Lebogang
Published: August 2023

Recent breakthroughs in agro-inputs research have led to the development of nanomaterials that can promote precision agriculture and better environmental security. The agricultural sector is increasingly facing the negative impacts of changing climates due to various stress conditions. To curb this scenario, economical and low-risk practices such as decreasing fertilizer inputs and seed priming have been promoted. In the current study, the H. odoratissimum aqueous extract was used to nucleate the Zn ionic species and grow the zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). The developed nanocomposites and their ionic zinc precursor were then integrated into tripolyphosphate (TPP)-crosslinked chitosan (CS/TPP) nanostructures by ionic gelation. Advanced physicochemical characterization techniques (SEM, EDS, TEM, DLS, FTIR, TGA, and XPS) were exploited to report the morphology, hydrodynamic size, surface charge, and structural organization of the developed nanomaterials. These revealed positively charged particles with hydrodynamic size in the 149–257 nm range. The NPs were used as priming agents for Zea mays seeds. At 0.04%, the ZnO-loaded CS/TPP NPs achieved higher root and shoot elongation in 10-day old seedlings compared to other treatments. The pristine CS/TPP NPs, Zn(II)-laden CS/TPP NPs, and ZnO-loaded CS/TPP NPs at 0.01% significantly promoted the early seedling development of seeds under salt stress. This represents the first report showing ZnO integrated chitosan nanocomposites as an auspicious nanopriming agent for stimulating the seed germination of maize. The study envisages offering perspectives on utilizing green nanotechnology to improve the early seedling development of maize. Furthermore, it has the potential to contribute towards UN SDG 2, thus addressing the threats to global food insecurity and doubling agricultural productivity by 2030.
Drug-induced phospholipidosis is not correlated with the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 - inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 is cell line-specific
Authors: Diesendorf Viktoria , Roll Valeria , Geiger Nina , Fähr Sofie , Obernolte Helena , Sewald Katherina , Bodem Jochen
Published: August 2023

Recently, Tummino et al. reported that 34 compounds, including Chloroquine and Fluoxetine, inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication by inducing phospholipidosis, although Chloroquine failed to suppress viral replication in Calu-3 cells and patients. In contrast, Fluoxetine represses viral replication in human precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) and Calu-3 cells. Thus, it is unlikely that these compounds have similar mechanisms of action. Here, we analysed a subset of these compounds in the viral replication and phospholipidosis assays using the Calu-3 cells and PCLS as the patient-near system. Trimipramine and Chloroquine induced phospholipidosis but failed to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in Calu-3 cells, which contradicts the reported findings and the proposed mechanism. Fluoxetine, only slightly induced phospholipidosis in Calu-3 cells but reduced viral replication by 2.7 orders of magnitude. Tilorone suppressed viral replication by 1.9 orders of magnitude in Calu-3 cells without causing phospholipidosis. Thus, induction of phospholipidosis is not correlated with the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2, and the compounds act via other mechanisms. However, we show that compounds, such as Amiodarone, Tamoxifen and Tilorone, with antiviral activity on Calu-3 cells, also inhibited viral replication in human PCLS. Our results indicate that antiviral assays against SARS-CoV-2 are cell-line specific. Data from Vero E6 can lead to non-transferable results, underlining the importance of an appropriate cell system for analysing antiviral compounds against SARS-CoV-2. We observed a correlation between the active compounds in Calu-3 cells and PCLS.
Genetic analysis of resistance and virulence characteristics of clinical multidrug-resistant Proteus mirabilis isolates
Authors: Li Ying , Yin Ming , Fang Chengju , Fu Yu , Dai Xiaoyi , Zeng Wei , Zhang Luhua
Published: August 2023

Objective

Proteus mirabilis is the one of most important pathogens of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. mirabilis severely limits antibiotic treatments, which poses a public health risk. This study aims to investigate the resistance characteristics and virulence potential for a collection of P. mirabilis clinical isolates.

Methods and results

Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed fourteen MDR strains, which showed high resistance to most β-lactams and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and a lesser extent to quinolones. All the MDR strains were sensitive to carbapenems (except imipenem), ceftazidime, and amikacin, and most of them were also sensitive to aminoglycosides. The obtained MDR isolates were sequenced using an Illumina HiSeq. The core genome-based phylogenetic tree reveals the high genetic diversity of these MDR P. mirabilis isolates and highlights the possibility of clonal spread of them across China. Mobile genetic elements SXT/R391 ICEs were commonly (10/14) detected in these MDR P. mirabilis strains, whereas the presence of resistance island PmGRI1 and plasmid was sporadic. All ICEs except for ICEPmiChn31006 carried abundant antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the HS4 region, including the extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) gene blaCTX-M-65. ICEPmiChn31006 contained the sole ARG blaCMY-2 and was nearly identical to the global epidemic ICEPmiJpn1. The findings highlight the important roles of ICEs in mediating the spread of ARGs in P. mirabilis strains. Additionally, these MDR P. mirabilis strains have great virulence potential as they exhibited significant virulence-related phenotypes including strong crystalline biofilm, hemolysis, urease production, and robust swarming motility, and harbored abundant virulence genes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the prevalence of MDR P. mirabilis with high virulence potential poses an urgent threat to public health. Intensive monitoring is needed to reduce the incidence of infections by MDR P. mirabilis.
Point of equilibrity. A narrative video game on decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis
Authors: Chrysanthi Angeliki , Katifori Akrivi , Kapralos Alexandros , Magklis Aristotelis , Antoniou Angeliki
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Point of Equilibrity (PoE) is a narrative game designed and developed with the aim to simulate the COVID-19 pandemic from a government's point of view and offer different perspectives on the complexity of managing a pandemic crisis. The players are called to make important decisions during a health crisis in the simulated environment while considering significant historic and topical events, as well as possible economic, political, and social implications.

Methods

This paper presents the results of a user study with 37 adult participants aiming to examine (1) the effect of PoE gameplay on the players' perspective on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and (2) the effect of the players' FFM and DMQ personality traits profile on the game experience and the decision-making process. The participants played the game and then were asked to fill in an on-line questionnaire.

Results and discussion

The results suggest that the game design offered an engaging game experience and was effective to promote reflection and perspective taking on different aspects of crisis management, as well as the supporting role of relevant historical information in the decision-making process. The study also reports correlations between specific personality traits, such the DMQ Thoroughness and Principled, the FFM Conscientiousness and Openness to experience with specific aspects of the game experience, such as absorption, perspective taking and the preference for more choices in the gameplay.
InSAR-based method for deformation monitoring of landslide source area in Baihetan reservoir, China
Authors: Liu Meishan , Yang Zhiquan , Xi Wenfei , Guo Junqi , Yang Hong
Published: August 2023

As a cascading disaster, the surge caused by the reservoir bank landslide seriously affects the stability of the reservoir bank and the dam body. In addition, large-scale hydropower projects are usually built in mountain and canyon areas with active geological structure movement, which provides rich material sources for the occurrence of landslides, so it is of great significance to monitor the deformation in the landslide source area of the reservoir. As science and technology have been leaping forward, a wide variety of high and novel technologies have been proposed, which can be adopted to monitor landslide deformation. It is noteworthy that InSAR is capable of monitoring target monitoring areas all time under all weathers without the need to install any equipment. In this study, the time series deformation of the main landslide source area of the Baihetan reservoir after water storage was determined based on the time series InSAR method. The average annual deformation rate of the landslide source area of the Baihetan reservoir from April 2021 to January 2023 was determined by combining the Sentinel-1 SAR data of 55 ascending tracks and 46 descending tracks. Moreover, the vegetation cover variations from April 2021 to January 2023 in the study area were determined by combining the remote sensing data of Landsat8-9. A total of four typical source areas were selected based on the field investigation to analyze the deformation monitoring results and the vegetation cover variations. As indicated by the results: 1) After water storage, the slope deformation in all source areas was larger in the short term, and the deformation rate of the lower part turned out to be more significant, and the deformation rate exceeded 334.583 mm/year. 2) On the steep slope, the effect of different types of vegetation on restraining deformation was different. The optimal effect was reported in shrubs, followed by grasslands, and the worst effect was reported in woodlands. The results of this study can provide scientific support for the prevention and control of regional geological disasters.
Anti-diabetic combination therapy with pioglitazone or glimepiride added to metformin on the AGE-RAGE axis: a randomized prospective study
Authors: Ragazzi Eugenio , Burlina Silvia , Cosma Chiara , Chilelli Nino Cristiano , Lapolla Annunziata , Sartore Giovanni
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The ratio between advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and soluble form of receptor (s-RAGE) has been proposed as a risk marker for renal and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate in the diabetes condition the influence of two different oral anti-diabetic treatments on the AGE/s-RAGE ratio, during a 5-year observation period.

Methods

Seventy-three patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to a drug therapy with pioglitazone or glimepiride, combined to metformin. Each subject was evaluated at baseline and after 5 years of treatment.

Results

In both groups s-RAGE levels did not significantly vary, while the levels of AGE and AGE/s-RAGE were both significantly reduced, basal compared to 5-year values. Within pioglitazone group, as well within glimepiride group, significant variations (Δ, as difference between 5 years of treatment minus basal) were observed for AGE (Δ= ˗21.1±13.4 µg/ml, P<0.001 for pioglitazone; Δ= ˗14.4±11.4 µg/ml, P<0.001 for glimepiride) and in AGE/s-RAGE (Δ= -0.037±0.022 µg/pg, P<0.001 for pioglitazone; Δ= -0.024±0.020µg/pg, P<0.001 for glimepiride), suggesting an average decrease of the parameters by more than 50% in both treatments. Pioglitazone was more effective than glimepiride in reducing AGE/s-RAGE ratio after 5 years of therapy.

Conclusion

These data can help to explain the benefits of oral anti-diabetic therapy in relation to the reduction of cardiovascular risk, as suggested by variations in AGE/s-RAGE ratio as biochemical marker of endothelial function; in particular, treatment with pioglitazone seems to offer greater long-term benefit on AGE-RAGE axis.
Development and validation of a Sarcopenia Geriatric Scale (SARCO-GS): a new short scale for the screening of sarcopenia
Authors: Rosas-Carrasco Oscar , Omaña-Guzmán Isabel , García-González Ana Isabel , Luna-López Armando
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Sarcopenia is a highly prevalent disease associated with adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, and death. The current international consensuses agree that muscle strength, muscle mass, and gait speed must be included in the definition. However, these proposed criteria require objective measurements that are not available for most populations. Since the timely identification of sarcopenia is a priority, several subjective screening scales have been developed; however, they have some limitations due to their low sensitivity. The objective of this work was to develop and validate SARCO-GS, a new short scale to screen sarcopenia that is affordable, easy, and accessible for all clinical care settings.

Methods and materials

The development of the SARCO-GS included four stages: (1) Review and analysis of documentary sources, (2) Contextualization of the theoretical model of sarcopenia, (3) Scale conformation, and (4) Reliability and validity analyses. SARCO-GS was validated in the FraDySMex study, which is a longitudinal cohort of community-dwelling adults.

Results

In the studied population (n=852), the average age was 68.9 years (SD 10.21) and 80.1% of the participants were women. SARCO-GS is a seven-item scale with an innovative structure that included five subjective questions (gait speed, muscular strength, muscle mass) and two measurements of muscular strength and muscle mass (Chair stand test and calf circumference). The results regarding criterion validity showed that the cut-off point ≥ 3 had good sensitivity (77.68%) versus the EWGSOP2 consensus, with an adequate Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUC) (0.73), in addition to showing higher values of sensitivity and AUC than SARC-F and SARC-CalF using as reference the same consensus. Furthermore, SARCO-GS presented good predictive validity for functional dependence (HR=2.22, p=0.046) and acceptable correlation with other related measurements (construct validity). Regarding reliability, the scale showed acceptable internal reliability (correlation between items and total score: 0.50 to 0.70). After the validation analysis, the scale was adapted to English.

Conclusions

The SARCO-GS is a novel scale to screen sarcopenia with high sensitivity, good construct, predictive validity, and internal reliability that may be useful for health professionals in different clinical settings and for clinical research.
Diagnosis of thyroid disease using deep convolutional neural network models applied to thyroid scintigraphy images: a multicenter study
Authors: Zhao Huayi , Zheng Chenxi , Zhang Huihui , Rao Maohua , Li Yixuan , Fang Danzhou , Huang Jiahui , Zhang Wenqian , Yuan Gengbiao
Published: August 2023

Objectives

The aim of this study was to improve the diagnostic performance of nuclear medicine physicians using a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) model and validate the results with two multicenter datasets for thyroid disease by analyzing clinical single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image data.

Methods

In this multicenter retrospective study, 3194 SPECT thyroid images were collected for model training (n=2067), internal validation (n=514) and external validation (n=613). First, four pretrained DCNN models (AlexNet, ShuffleNetV2, MobileNetV3 and ResNet-34) for were tested multiple medical image classification of thyroid disease types (i.e., Graves’ disease, subacute thyroiditis, thyroid tumor and normal thyroid). The best performing model was then subjected to fivefold cross-validation to further assess its performance, and the diagnostic performance of this model was compared with that of junior and senior nuclear medicine physicians. Finally, class-specific attentional regions were visualized with attention heatmaps using gradient-weighted class activation mapping.

Results

Each of the four pretrained neural networks attained an overall accuracy of more than 0.85 for the classification of SPECT thyroid images. The improved ResNet-34 model performed best, with an accuracy of 0.944. For the internal validation set, the ResNet-34 model showed higher accuracy (p < 0.001) when compared to that of the senior nuclear medicine physician, with an improvement of nearly 10%. Our model achieved an overall accuracy of 0.931 for the external dataset, a significantly higher accuracy than that of the senior physician (0.931 vs. 0.868, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The DCNN-based model performed well in terms of diagnosing thyroid scintillation images. The DCNN model showed higher sensitivity and greater specificity in identifying Graves’ disease, subacute thyroiditis, and thyroid tumors compared to those of nuclear medicine physicians, illustrating the feasibility of deep learning models to improve the diagnostic efficiency for assisting clinicians.
Sex non-specific growth charts and potential clinical implications in the care of transgender youth
Authors: Bomberg Eric Morris , Miller Bradley Scott , Addo Oppong Yaw , Rogol Alan David , Jaber Mutaz M. , Sarafoglou Kyriakie
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) created separate growth charts for girls and boys because growth patterns and rates differ between sexes. However, scenarios exist in which this dichotomizing “girls versus boys” approach may not be ideal, including the care of non-binary youth or transgender youth undergoing transitions consistent with their gender identity. There is therefore a need for growth charts that age smooth differences in pubertal timing between sexes to determine how youth are growing as “children” versus “girls or boys” (e.g., age- and sex-neutral, compared to age- and sex-specific, growth charts).

Methods

Employing similar statistical techniques and datasets used to create the CDC 2000 growth charts, we developed age-adjusted, sex non-specific growth charts for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI), and z-score calculators for these parameters. Specifically, these were created using anthropometric data from five US cross-sectional studies including National Health Examination Surveys II-III and National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys I-III. To illustrate contemporary clinical practice, we overlaid our charts on CDC 2000 girls and boys growth charts.

Results

39,119 youth 2-20 years old (49.5% female; 66.7% non-Hispanic White; 21.7% non-Hispanic Black) were included in the development of our growth charts, reference ranges, and z-score calculators. Respective curves were largely superimposable through around 10 years of age after which, coinciding with pubertal onset timing, differences became more apparent.

Discussion

We conclude that age-adjusted, sex non-specific growth charts may be used in clinical situations such as transgender youth in which standard “girls versus boys” growth charts are not ideal. Until longitudinal auxological data are available in these populations, our growth charts may help to assess a transgender youth’s growth trajectory and weight classification, and expectations surrounding these.
Multiple roles and regulatory mechanisms of the transcription factor HNF4 in the intestine
Authors: Vemuri Kiranmayi , Radi Sarah H. , Sladek Frances M. , Verzi Michael P.
Published: August 2023

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-alpha (HNF4α) drives a complex array of transcriptional programs across multiple organs. Beyond its previously documented function in the liver, HNF4α has crucial roles in the kidney, intestine, and pancreas. In the intestine, a multitude of functions have been attributed to HNF4 and its accessory transcription factors, including but not limited to, intestinal maturation, differentiation, regeneration, and stem cell renewal. Functional redundancy between HNF4α and its intestine-restricted paralog HNF4γ, and co-regulation with other transcription factors drive these functions. Dysregulated expression of HNF4 results in a wide range of disease manifestations, including the development of a chronic inflammatory state in the intestine. In this review, we focus on the multiple molecular mechanisms of HNF4 in the intestine and explore translational opportunities. We aim to introduce new perspectives in understanding intestinal genetics and the complexity of gastrointestinal disorders through the lens of HNF4 transcription factors.
The role of glucagon after bariatric/metabolic surgery: much more than an “anti-insulin” hormone
Authors: Pérez-Arana Gonzalo-Martín , Díaz-Gómez Alfredo , Bancalero-de los Reyes José , Gracia-Romero Manuel , Ribelles-García Antonio , Visiedo Francisco , González-Domínguez Álvaro , Almorza-Gomar David , Prada-Oliveira José-Arturo
Published: August 2023

The biological activity of glucagon has recently been proposed to both stimulate hepatic glucose production and also include a paradoxical insulinotropic effect, which could suggest a new role of glucagon in the pathophysiology type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). An insulinotropic role of glucagon has been observed after bariatric/metabolic surgery that is mediated through the GLP-1 receptor on pancreatic beta cells. This effect appears to be modulated by other members of the proglucagon family, playing a key role in the beneficial effects and complications of bariatric/metabolic surgery. Glucagon serves a dual role after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). In addition to maintaining blood glucose levels, glucagon exhibits an insulinotropic effect, suggesting that glucagon has a more complex function than simply an “anti-insulin hormone”.
Polycystic ovary syndrome and thyroid disorder: a comprehensive narrative review of the literature
Authors: Palomba Stefano , Colombo Carla , Busnelli Andrea , Caserta Donatella , Vitale Giovanni
Published: August 2023

Background

Published data on the relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid dysfunction are sparse and confusing.

Objective

To comprehensively review data available in the literature regarding the relationship between PCOS and the thyroid function, and its abnormalities.

Methods

Nine main areas of interest were identified and analyzed according to the available evidence: 1) Evaluation of thyroid function for PCOS diagnosis; 2) Epidemiology data on thyroid function/disorders in patients with PCOS, and vice versa; 3) Experimental data supporting the relationship between thyroid function/disorders and PCOS; 4) Effects of thyroid function/disorders on PCOS features, and vice versa; 5) Effect of thyroid alterations on the cardiometabolic risk in women with PCOS; 6) Effect of thyroid abnormalities on reproductive outcomes in women with PCOS; 7) Relationship between thyroid function/abnormalities in patients with PCOS who are undergoing fertility treatment; 8) Effect of treatments for thyroid diseases on PCOS; and 9) Effect of treatments for PCOS on thyroid function. An extensive literature search for specific keywords was performed for articles published from 1970 to March 2023 using PubMed and Web of Science. Data were reported in a narrative fashion.

Results

PCOS is a diagnosis of exclusion for which diagnosis is possible only after excluding disorders that mimic the PCOS phenotype, including thyroid dysfunctions. However, the tests and the cutoff values used for this are not specified. Many experimental and clinical data suggest a relationship between perturbations of the thyroid function and PCOS. Direct and unequivocal evidence on the effects of thyroid function/disorders on PCOS features are lacking. High thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and subclinical hypothyroidism may be associated with significant worsening of several intermediate endpoints of cardiometabolic risk in women with PCOS. Thyroid abnormalities may worsen reproductive outcomes, especially in patients undergoing fertility treatment. To date, there are no data demonstrating the efficacy of thyroid medications on fertility and cardiometabolic risk in women with PCOS. Lifestyle modification changes, metformin, and vitamin D seem to improve thyroid function in the general population.

Conclusion

PCOS and thyroid disorders are closely related, and their coexistence may identify patients with a higher reproductive and metabolic risk. Regular screening for thyroid function and thyroid-specific autoantibodies in women with PCOS, particularly before and during pregnancy, is highly recommended.
Grassland management effect on ecosystem services in the livestock system in an oxisol from the Eastern high plains of Colombia
Authors: Rodríguez-Hernández Nubia S. , Arango Miguel , Moreno-Conn Lina M. , Arguello José Orlando , Bernal-Riobo Jaime H. , Pérez-López Otoniel
Published: August 2023

Colombia has a livestock population of approximately 28.2 million heads, of which 20.4% is found in the eastern high plains of the Orinoquia region. The extensive beef cattle system predominates, whose diet is based on native and introduced pastures of the genus Urochloa sp. which is deficiently managed, affecting productive and reproductive indexes due to the low adoption of technology. We evaluated potential sustainable intensive systems for cattle production, which contribute to maintaining the provision of environmental services. Between 2011 and 2015 in Agrosavia’s Research Center at Carimagua (4° 37'N and 71° 19' W) environmental and animal production variables were monitored in the following systems: a) degraded pastures recovered with tillage and fertilization, b) annual crop rotation with pastures, c) forest arrangements in strips, and d) forest remnants in perimeter areas. Productive and reproductive variables were determined in animals such as weight gain, calving interval, among others while the pasture/crop productive variables included yield and forage quality. Regarding soil ecosystem services (ES) the macrofauna biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, soil physical and chemical variables were considered. Estimation of indicators was carried out through principal components analysis for soil physical, chemical and macrofauna variables to extract the two main components that explain the variance. For climate regulation of ES, measurement of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage at a depth of 20 cm and the annual accumulated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were included. The systems that involved lime amendments and fertilizers increased the value in the year of application. Values in the water regulation indicator did not show significant differences among the options implemented during the years. Edaphic macrofauna biodiversity indicator value was sensitive to changes in management practices, with termites being the group with highest abundance. The indicator related to SOC was higher in the forest area compared to the pasture-crop system. Systems under the agroforestry schemes which integrated various practices such as managed and recovered pastures, crop-pasture rotation, patched areas and tree strips contributed to maintain or improve the ES, although each one of the strategies proposed provided improvement in at leas one ES.