bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Such an institution represents the circle of life” – bringing an inpatient hospice into an academic setting: a pre-implementation exploratory study
Authors: Dillen Kim , Montag Thomas , Weihrauch Birgit , Golla Heidrun , Voltz Raymond , Strupp Julia
Published: July 2023

Background

To combine the benefits of hospice and palliative care, the integration of both seems self-evident. Aim of this study was to explore clinical staff’s and volunteers’ expectations and concerns of the first university hospice in Germany planning for implementation.

Methods

Staff and volunteers of the Department of Palliative Medicine of the University Hospital in Cologne received questionnaires and were interviewed following three themes of interest: opportunities, challenges, general criteria. Questionnaire results were analyzed descriptively using mean ± SD and percentages, open-ended questions and interviews were analysed using content analysis.

Results

A total of 28/100 questionnaires was returned (n = 17 clinical staff, n = 11 volunteers) and 18 interviews conducted. The majority of both clinical staff and volunteers estimated the need for a university inpatient hospice as rather to very high (64.7% and 81.8%, respectively). Our findings revealed that most clinical staff and volunteers anticipated improvements with the intended university inpatient hospice, although their expectations were divided between both hope and concern while adhering to legal and general requirements, which they feared might oppose such a project. Participants expressed concern about leadership and staffing plans, albeit most pronounced among clinical staff. Nursing staff repeatedly articulated concerns about being interchanged between the palliative care ward and the intended inpatient hospice while they had explicitly chosen to work in palliative medicine.

Conclusions

The overall high level of anticipated progress and excitement is very encouraging. Albeit serious concerns were mentioned, our results indicate that all participants believe in a positive impact and highlight the need of developing a solid concept.

In order to implement such a hospice within a university setting, it is important to consider multilevel contextual factors such as system-level factors (funding, external and internal regulations), organization-level factors (leadership, staff motivation), and patient-level factors (adaptability to patients' needs). Our findings illustrate the importance of understanding the context of practice before implementation. Our pre-implementation study helps identify critical views from staff members and volunteers that may hinder or advance the implementation.

Trial registration

The study was registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (#DRKS00021258) on April 17th 2020.
Lessons from discovery of true ADAR RNA editing sites in a human cell line
Authors: Wang Fang , Cao Huifen , Xia Qiu , Liu Ziheng , Wang Ming , Gao Fan , Xu Dongyang , Deng Bolin , Diao Yong , Kapranov Philipp
Published: July 2023

Background

Conversion or editing of adenosine (A) into inosine (I) catalyzed by specialized cellular enzymes represents one of the most common post-transcriptional RNA modifications with emerging connection to disease. A-to-I conversions can happen at specific sites and lead to increase in proteome diversity and changes in RNA stability, splicing, and regulation. Such sites can be detected as adenine-to-guanine sequence changes by next-generation RNA sequencing which resulted in millions reported sites from multiple genome-wide surveys. Nonetheless, the lack of extensive independent validation in such endeavors, which is critical considering the relatively high error rate of next-generation sequencing, leads to lingering questions about the validity of the current compendiums of the editing sites and conclusions based on them.

Results

Strikingly, we found that the current analytical methods suffer from very high false positive rates and that a significant fraction of sites in the public databases cannot be validated. In this work, we present potential solutions to these problems and provide a comprehensive and extensively validated list of A-to-I editing sites in a human cancer cell line. Our findings demonstrate that most of true A-to-I editing sites in a human cancer cell line are located in the non-coding transcripts, the so-called RNA 'dark matter'. On the other hand, many ADAR editing events occurring in exons of human protein-coding mRNAs, including those that can recode the transcriptome, represent false positives and need to be interpreted with caution. Nonetheless, yet undiscovered authentic ADAR sites that increase the diversity of human proteome exist and warrant further identification.

Conclusions

Accurate identification of human ADAR sites remains a challenging problem, particularly for the sites in exons of protein-coding mRNAs. As a result, genome-wide surveys of ADAR editome must still be accompanied by extensive Sanger validation efforts. However, given the vast number of unknown human ADAR sites, there is a need for further developments of the analytical techniques, potentially those that are based on deep learning solutions, in order to provide a quick and reliable identification of the editome in any sample.
Healthcare use attributable to COVID-19: a propensity-matched national electronic health records cohort study of 249,390 people in Wales, UK
Authors: Kennedy J , Parker M , Seaborne M , Mhereeg M , Walker A , Walker V , Denaxas S , Kennedy N , Katikireddi S. V , Brophy S
Published: July 2023

Background

To determine the extent and nature of changes associated with COVID-19 infection in terms of healthcare utilisation, this study observed healthcare contact 1 to 4 and 5 to 24 weeks following a COVID-19 diagnosis compared to propensity-matched controls.

Methods

Two hundred forty nine thousand three hundred ninety Welsh individuals with a positive reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test were identified from data from national PCR test results. After elimination criteria, 98,600 positive individuals were matched to test negative and never tested controls using propensity matching. Cohorts were split on test location. Tests could be taken in either the hospital or community. Controls were those who had tested negative in their respective environments. Survival analysis was utilised for first clinical outcomes which are grouped into primary and secondary. Primary outcomes include post-viral-illness and fatigue as an indication of long-COVID. Secondary outcomes include clinical terminology concepts for embolism, respiratory conditions, mental health conditions, fit notes, or hospital attendance. Increased instantaneous risk for positive individuals was quantified using hazard ratios (HR) from Cox regression, while absolute risk (AR) and relative risk were quantified using life table analysis.

Results

Analysis was conducted using all individuals and stratified by test location. Cases are compared to controls from the same test location. Fatigue (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.34–2.25, p =  < 0.001) and embolism (HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.15–1.97, p = 0.003) were more likely to occur in all positive individuals in the first 4 weeks; however, anxiety and depression (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.73–0.95, p = 0.007) were less likely. Positive individuals continued to be more at risk of fatigue (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.24–1.75, p =  < 0.001) and embolism (HR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.13–2.02, p = 0.005) after 4 weeks. All positive individuals are also at greater risk of post-viral illness (HR: 4.57, 95% CI: 1.77–11.80, p = 0.002). Despite statistical association between testing positive and several conditions, life table analysis shows that only a small minority of the study population were affected.

Conclusions

Community COVID-19 disease is associated with increased risks of post-viral-illness, fatigue, embolism, and respiratory conditions. Despite elevated risks, the absolute healthcare burden is low. Subsequently, either very small proportions of people experience adverse outcomes following COVID-19 or they are not presenting to healthcare.
Cost-effectiveness of prehabilitation prior to elective surgery: a systematic review of economic evaluations
Authors: Rombey Tanja , Eckhardt Helene , Kiselev Jörn , Silzle Julia , Mathes Tim , Quentin Wilm
Published: July 2023

Background

Prehabilitation aims at enhancing patients’ functional capacity and overall health status to enable them to withstand a forthcoming stressor like surgery. Our aim was to synthesise the evidence on the cost-effectiveness of prehabilitation for patients awaiting elective surgery compared with usual preoperative care.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, the CRD database, ClinicalTrials.gov, the WHO ICTRP and the dissertation databases OADT and DART. Studies comparing prehabilitation for patients with elective surgery to usual preoperative care were included if they reported cost outcomes. All types of economic evaluations (EEs) were included. The primary outcome of the review was cost-effectiveness based on cost–utility analyses (CUAs).

The risk of bias of trial-based EEs was assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias 2 tool and the ROBINS-I tool and the credibility of model-based EEs with the ISPOR checklist. Methodological quality of full EEs was assessed using the CHEC checklist. The EEs’ results were synthesised narratively using vote counting based on direction of effect.

Results

We included 45 unique studies: 25 completed EEs and 20 ongoing studies. Of the completed EEs, 22 were trial-based and three model-based, corresponding to four CUAs, three cost-effectiveness analyses, two cost–benefit analyses, 12 cost–consequence analyses and four cost-minimization analyses. Three of the four trial-based CUAs (75%) found prehabilitation cost-effective, i.e. more effective and/or less costly than usual care. Overall, 16/25 (64.0%) EEs found prehabilitation cost-effective. When excluding studies of insufficient credibility/critical risk of bias, this number reduced to 14/23 (60.9%). In 8/25 (32.0%), cost-effectiveness was unclear, e.g. because prehabilitation was more effective and more costly, and in one EE prehabilitation was not cost-effective.

Conclusions

We found some evidence that prehabilitation for patients awaiting elective surgery is cost-effective compared to usual preoperative care. However, we suspect a relevant risk of publication bias, and most EEs were of high risk of bias and/or low methodological quality. Furthermore, there was relevant heterogeneity depending on the population, intervention and methods. Future EEs should be performed over a longer time horizon and apply a more comprehensive perspective.

Trial registration

PROSPERO CRD42020182813.
An application of internal multiple prediction and primary reflection retrieval to salt structures
Authors: Gu Zhiwei , Geng Jianhua , Wu Ru-Shan
Published: July 2023

Irregular salt bodies complicate the seismic wavefield propagation and cause multipathing, leading to intricate internal multiples that cannot be easily suppressed during data processing. To investigate the performance of internal multiple removal in salt bodies, we compare two types of Marchenko-based internal multiple removal strategies. One focuses on internal multiple prediction (IMP) based on Marchenko redatuming and seismic interferometry. With the retrieved upgoing and downgoing Green’s functions, internal multiples can be reconstructed using convolutional interferometry. The second method emphasizes primary reflection retrieval (PRR) by capturing primary reflections without adaptive subtraction. It is derived from a modified method based on the Gel’fand-Levitan-Marchenko equation. Testing with the Pluto salt model, we find that for the IMP the critical point is obtaining the purely scattering components of the upgoing and downgoing Green’s functions from the complicated wavefield. Our complex salt model indicates that the predicted internal multiples’ adaptive subtraction also introduces an extra challenge for attenuation quality. We develop a layer-by-layer adaptive subtraction scheme for the IMP to obtain primary reflections. The constant-time truncation operator in the time domain makes the PRR independent of additional model information, which can exclude internal multiples from the primary reflections. However, selecting an appropriate smoothing window for truncation requires further investigation. We evaluate the weaknesses of these methods and enhance each method individually. Our numerical results indicate that these improved schemes can correctly handle internal multiples in salt structure scenarios. In the addition, we study the robustness of the IMP when an erroneous background velocity model is used to estimate the direct arrival and the effects of sampling on the virtual receiver/source lines in IMP.
Technical Validation and Utility of an HLA Class II Tetramer Assay for Type 1 Diabetes: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Ettinger Ruth A , Buitinga Mijke , Vandamme Céline , Afonso Georgia , Gomez Rebecca , Arribas-Layton David , Bissenova Samal , Speake Cate , Reijonen Helena , Kinnunen Tuure , Overbergh Lut , Mallone Roberto , Kwok William W , James Eddie A
Published: July 2023

Context

Validated assays to measure autoantigen-specific T-cell frequency and phenotypes are needed for assessing the risk of developing diabetes, monitoring disease progression, evaluating responses to treatment, and personalizing antigen-based therapies.

Objective

Toward this end, we performed a technical validation of a tetramer assay for HLA-DRA-DRB1*04:01, a class II allele that is strongly associated with susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

HLA-DRA-DRB1*04:01-restricted T cells specific for immunodominant epitopes from islet cell antigens GAD65, IGRP, preproinsulin, and ZnT8, and a reference influenza epitope, were enumerated and phenotyped in a single staining tube with a tetramer assay. Single and multicenter testing was performed, using a clone-spiked specimen and replicate samples from T1D patients, with a target coefficient of variation (CV) less than 30%. The same assay was applied to an exploratory cross-sectional sample set with 24 T1D patients to evaluate the utility of the assay.

Results

Influenza-specific T-cell measurements had mean CVs of 6% for the clone-spiked specimen and 11% for T1D samples in single-center testing, and 20% and 31%, respectively, for multicenter testing. Islet-specific T-cell measurements in these same samples had mean CVs of 14% and 23% for single-center and 23% and 41% for multicenter testing. The cross-sectional study identified relationships between T-cell frequencies and phenotype and disease duration, sex, and autoantibodies. A large fraction of the islet-specific T cells exhibited a naive phenotype.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that the assay is reproducible and useful to characterize islet-specific T cells and identify correlations between T-cell measures and clinical traits.
A nutritional review of polysaccharide storage myopathy
Authors: Watkins Fiona
Published: July 2023

Polysaccharide storage myopathy is characterised as the dissolution of skeletal muscle in association with exercise. Genetic testing has uncovered two forms of polysaccharide storage myopathy: PSSM1 and PSSM2, and a subtype known as myofibrillar myopathy. Horses with these conditions can display a variety of symptoms. Nutritional management of PSSM1 and PSSM2 cases hinges on ensuring that rations are low in both starch and sugar, and daily exercise is also important for these horses.
Species composition and diversity of waterbird communities in Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of South West Johor Coast, Malaysia
Authors: FAUZI NUR ATHIRAH , MUNIAN KAVIARASU , SHAH AHMAD KHUSAINI MOHD KHARIP , NORAZLIMI NOR ATIQAH
Published: July 2023

Abstract. Fauzi NA, Munian K, Shah AKMK, Norazlimi NA. 2023. Species composition and diversity of waterbird communities in Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of South West Johor Coast, Malaysia. Biodiversitas 24: 3471-3480. Mangroves play a crucial role in supporting intertidal flats and providing habitats that enrich benthic communities, which in turn serve as feeding grounds for coastal waterbirds. However, the degradation of mangrove habitats caused by coastal reclamation activities indirectly impacts prey availability and, consequently, the populations of waterbirds. The coastline habitat along the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of the South West Johor Coast is currently under threat due to new and ongoing development projects involving large-scale reclamation activities. Therefore, this research was conducted to study the diversity and abundance of waterbirds and their relationship with prey availability. The study was conducted in three coastal mudflat sites along the South West Johor Coast, namely Tanjung Piai, Pontian Kechil, and Muar, from November 2020 to May 2021. The direct observation technique was used to determine the abundance of waterbirds, while the benthic core sampling method was employed to assess prey availability in all study sites. In total, 3,717 individual waterbirds, comprising 17 species, were counted across the three study sites. The study confirmed a significant positive relationship between the abundance of waterbirds and prey availability (R2=0.501). The results of this study serve as important baseline data and references for the conservation of waterbirds along the South West Johor Coast. Through the study, we believe that the relevant authorities are able to formulate sound conservation strategies to preserve the habitat for a vast diversity of waterbirds.
‘To live in a city is to consume its offerings’: Speculative fiction and gentrification in Ling Ma’s Severance (2018)
Authors: Sulimma Maria
Published: July 2023

Ling Ma’s Severance () offers an interesting take on urban life after a pandemic and a resultant zombie apocalypse have turned New York City into a ghost town. The dystopian speculative fiction novel intertextually references the literary and media histories of science fiction and horror. Yet, it exceeds their often exclusively White and cis-male focus for a more comprehensive understanding of how the processes of gentrification are gendered and racialized. This contribution argues that Ma’s novel expands the repertoire of storytelling about gentrification through several stylistic and thematic features. For example, the ways that urban experiences are mediated through stories and enmeshed in global capitalist structures of consumerism. Further, the contribution explores the list of gentrification as an essential stylistic feature of urban fiction and the theme of pregnancy and its relevance in the gentrifying city.
Imprensa e Educação: a tradição conservadora Católica no Jornal Folha do Norte do Paraná (1962-1979)
Authors: Paula Fabricia de Cassia Grou de , Gomes Marco Antônio de Oliveira
Published: July 2023

Este artigo é resultado de um estudo sobre a imprensa católica em Maringá, efetuado por meio dos artigos publicados pelo jornal Folha do Norte do Paraná entre 1962 e 1979. O objetivo é compreender a contribuição desse jornal para a difusão do ideário conservador na região. Nos artigos publicados, alguns de autoria de Dom Jaime, na época bispo de Maringá, a preservação dos hábitos e das tradições católicas é entendida como um dever dos fiéis para a consagração da vontade de Deus. Tratou-se de uma estratégia educativa da Igreja Católica com vistas à difusão da fé e à ampliação de seu espaço de atuação na sociedade maringaense e seu entorno. Como resultado, a pesquisa sugere que os intelectuais orgânicos, no caso Dom Jaime, tiveram um papel importante na formação educativa de parte dos habitantes da cidade e cercanias. O percurso da pesquisa inscreve-se no campo da história da educação e problematiza as ações da hierarquia católica para consolidar a presença do ideário conservador e contrapor-se aos adversários, tanto políticos quanto outros sujeitos considerados inimigos da Igreja.
O Mestre-Escola: retalhos da vida de Giovanni Trentini em Rio dos Cedros
Authors: Otto Claricia
Published: July 2023

Em O Mestre-Escola: retalhos da vida de Giovanni Trentini em Rio dos Cedros, cujos lançamentos ocorreram em março e em junho de 2022, Norberto Dallabrida constrói uma narrativa em torno dos caminhos e das escolhas do imigrante italiano Giovanni Trentini, desde sua chegada ao Brasil, em 1878, até a sua morte, em 1919. Aos 40 anos de idade, viúvo e com duas filhas pequenas, Giovanni Trentini emigrou da Itália para o Brasil e se estabeleceu em Rio dos Cedros (SC). Nessa localidade foi agricultor, renomado líder religioso, professor, escreveu poesias, construiu uma capelinha em honra a Nossa Senhora de Lourdes; após a morte da filha Angelina aos 20 anos de idade, a que sobreviveu na travessia do Atlântico, em 1902, ele casou-se com a vizinha, também viúva. Esses são os principais aspectos da biografia de Giovanni Trentini abordados no livro e são tomados pelo autor como urdiduras para construir a trama histórica e (re)contextualizar, em nível macro e micro, o dramático contexto da imigração italiana e da colonização da região do Médio Vale do Itajaí-Açu, especialmente a partir de 1875.
La necesidad de aplicar las políticas públicas en educación
Authors: Muñoz Estela Socías
Published: July 2023

Jaime Caiceo Escudero, Doctor en Educación, realiza en este libro un estudio minucioso sobre las Políticas Públicas en la Educación Chilena en un período de treinta años (1990-2020), en los tres niveles educativos que existen en el país, a saber, el nivel parvulario, el sistema escolar y la educación superior, abordando temas y situaciones que en la actualidad son debatidas en los medios de comunicación y en los poderes ejecutivo y legislativo. La sociedad debe tomar conciencia y, en este texto queda claramente expuesto, la necesidad de las políticas públicas en educación y la descripción e interpretación de las leyes que sustentan la expresión de la misma, refiriéndose en ella a los últimos treinta años, indicando en forma explícita acerca de lo ocurrido a inicios del año 1990, donde los gobiernos postdictadura cívico militar implementaron una importante tarea referida a este tema, políticas que a juicio de la autora de esta reseña fue ambiciosa y que implicaban cambio e innovación, imperando de esta forma dinámicas de mercado establecidas durante la dictadura, las cuales se complementaron con acciones compensatorias del estado, provocando cambios al sistema imperante, aunque el propio autor del libro en comento, indique que más bien se agudizó el sistema imperante, a lo menos hasta el año 2014.
Patrimônio Educativo: arquitetura escolar e currículo
Authors: Batista Sueli Soares dos Santos
Published: July 2023

A obra intitulada Patrimônio Educativo: arquitetura escolar e currículo foi publicada sobre os auspícios do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP). A obra organizada por Alba Fernanda Oliveira Brito e Fernanda Ferreira Boschini, servidoras e pesquisadoras do IFSP, abre espaços para estudos sobre a história e a memória da instituição em seus diferentes momentos, além de receber contribuições de estudos relacionados a outras instituições e contextos educacionais. A publicação tem como núcleo central o patrimônio educativo das instituições de Educação Profissional e Tecnológica ao longo do século XX. É interessante observar que as escolas centenárias que são objeto da análise da maior parte dos textos compilados passaram a ter estudos específicos e projetos institucionais voltados à organização de acervos documentais e centros de memória muito recentemente. Além da temática abordada, o livro registra, celebra e analisa a trajetória na institucionalização de acervos e centros de memória. Relata o esforço interinstitucuonal a partir, por exemplo, de uma parceria entre o Centro Estadual de Educação Tecnológica Paula Souza (CEETEPS) e o IFSP em 2018 no sentido de trocar experiências de pesquisa e organizar eventos e publicações no âmbito da história e da memória da Educação Profissional e Tecnológica.
Assessment of Electronic and Electric Waste Pollution Case Study: Kigali City – Rwanda
Authors: Nsanzamahoro Christophe , Muhammad Fuad , Maryono M.
Published: July 2023

The issue of electronic goods and the pollution they generate is a rapidly growing global concern. These are regarded as any appliances using an electric power supply that has reached their end-of-life. They contain various components, some of which contain harmful substances that cause risks to both human health and the environment. Due to rapid economic growth, urbanization, and increased consumer demand, the manufacturing and usage of electronic devices have a significant increase on the annual growth rate of 5% to 8% compared to other solid wastes. It is in this context that this research aims to assess the awareness and knowledge levels of e-waste pollution, as well as the handling practices and attitudes towards e-waste among residents of Kigali City, Rwanda. The study took place in three districts of Kigali City: Gasabo, Nyarugenge, and Kicukiro, where data were collected using a questionnaire survey administered to a sample of respondents (n=204) living in the city of Kigali. Statistical data analysis was applied on the analysis of the collected information determining the significancy. The results indicated a limited awareness of e-waste pollution among electronic users and identified significant health risks faced by workers and repairers of electronic devices. Thus, a low level of knowledge, noticeable prevalence of inadequate e-waste pollution practices and absence of regulations and legislation concerning e-waste and recycling activities was also identified as a problem. Therefore, educating individuals, raising awareness, and promoting environmental concern implementing the three "Rs", reduce, reuse, and recycle to maximize re-source efficiency and material utilization needs to be enhanced.
Study on fresh processing key technology and quality influence of Cut Ophiopogonis Radix based on multi-index evaluation
Authors: Cai Xiaoyang , Deng Hongmei , Li Wenjing , Li Hongyan , Li Min
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the fresh processing technology of Cut Ophiopogonis Radix using a multi-index evaluation. This study comprehensively evaluated the fresh processing technology of sliced Cut Ophiopogonis Radix by investigating the cutting methods, cutting thickness, and drying conditions, and referring to The Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 edition. The appearance traits, internal quality (extract, total saponins, total flavonoids, total polysaccharides), and drying efficiency were used as evaluation indexes. The physical attributes of Cut Ophiopogonis Radix were found to vary based on the processing techniques employed. The shape, surface characteristics, texture, and color were observed to differ across the different methods. Notably, the apparent quality of Cut Ophiopogonis Radix was superior in samples processed using A1B1C1, A1B2C2, and A3B1C3 techniques. Drying time and energy consumption of Cut Ophiopogonis Radix produced by the A1B2C2 and A2B1C2 processes were less than those of other treatments, making them the optimal process for fresh processing Cut Ophiopogonis Radix. The impact of the cutting method and thickness on the extract was found to be statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). However, the drying method was observed to have a significant impact on the extract (P < 0.05). The cutting method, Cut thickness, and drying method did not affect the total saponin content (P > 0.05), but they had significant effects on the total polysaccharide and flavonoid contents (P < 0.01). Total polysaccharides were most affected by the cutting method, while total flavonoids were most affected by the drying condition. Based on the characteristics and internal quality, the fresh processing technology for Cut Ophiopogonis Radix was determined: fresh Ophiopogonis Radix was sliced to a thickness of 2–4 mm and dried at 55°C or a low temperature. The feasibility of Cut Ophiopogonis Radix is improved through its fresh processing. According to the evaluation indices, it is recommended to utilize the novel processing technique involving “fresh Ophiopogonis Radix” with fresh cuts, a cut thickness ranging from 2 to 4 mm, and drying at a temperature of 55℃ or through low-temperature drying. The Cut Ophiopogonis Radix exhibited favorable appearance and internal characteristics, thereby furnishing a scientific basis and innovative insights for the production of ophiopogon decoction slices.
Advanced maternal age (AMA) and 75 g oGTT glucose levels are pedictors for insulin therapy in women with gestational diabetes (GDM)
Authors: Koenigbauer Josefine Theresia , Fangmann Laura , Rostin Paul , Balke Selina , Weid Petra , Henrich Wolfgang , Weichert Alexander , Christian Göbl
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a common complication during pregnancy that is strongly associated with adverse fetal and maternal outcomes. Advanced maternal age (≥35 years) is a known risk factor for GDM. Studies advocate that GDM comprises distinctive metabolic entities, suggesting an individualized approach based on early pregnancy characteristics (such as 75 g oGTT values, maternal age, obstetric history).

Methods

The oGTT blood glucose levels of 1,664 women were categorized into isolated fasting hyperglycemia (GDM-IFH), isolated postprandial hyperglycemia (GDM-IPH) and combined hyperglycemia (GDM-CH), using the levels of the fasting, 1 h and 2 h values after glucose application. These three subtypes were analysed regarding baseline characteristics as well as fetal and maternal outcome in the context of maternal age.

Results

This analysis reveals that the 75 g oGTT levels and maternal age can distinguish metabolic phenotypes in women with GDM. The overall rate of insulin therapy required was higher in women from the GDM-CH group and increased with maternal age (31.7 %, 38.2 %, <35 years, ≥35–39 years respectively, vs. total insulin rate 22.3 %, p-value <0.001). Women ≥35 years displayed a significantly higher caesarean delivery (CD) rate (<35 years 34.6 %, 38.4 %, 41.1 % vs. ≥35 years 54.8 %, 47.6 %, 46.5 %, GDM-IFH, GDM-IPH, GDM-CH respectively, p-value <0.001).

Conclusions

Women with fasting hyperglycemia, especially those with combined hyperglycemia and advanced maternal age (AMA) display a higher risk for unfavorable perinatal outcome. A categorization based on oGTT values and maternal age, as well as other characteristics can facilitate a basis for clinical risk stratification. Women at risk should receive an individualized and intensified perinatal care as well as interventional therapies.
Neuronal Ptpn1 and Socs3 deletion improves metabolism but not anovulation in a mouse polycystic ovary syndrome model
Authors: Kerbus Romy I , Inglis Megan A , Anderson Greg M
Published: July 2023

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility in women. Approximately half of the diagnosed individuals also experience the metabolic syndrome. Central and peripheral resistance to the hormones insulin and leptin have been reported to contribute to both metabolic and reproductive dysregulation. In PCOS and preclinical PCOS animal models, circulating insulin and leptin levels are often increased in parallel with the development of hormone resistance; however, it remains uncertain whether these changes contribute to the PCOS state. In this study, we tested whether central actions of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), negative regulators of insulin and leptin signaling pathways, respectively, play a role in the development of PCOS-like phenotype. A peripubertal dihydrotestosterone (DHT) excess PCOS-like mouse model was used, which exhibits both metabolic and reproductive dysfunction. Mice with knockout of the genes encoding PTP1B and SOCS3 from forebrain neurons were generated, and metabolic and reproductive functions were compared between knockout and control groups. DHT treatment induced mild insulin resistance but not leptin resistance, so the role of SOCS3 could not be tested. As expected, DHT excess abolished estrous cycles and corpora lutea presence and caused increased visceral adiposity and fasting glucose levels. Knockout mice did not show any rescue of reproductive dysfunction but did have reduced adiposity compared to the control DHT mice. These data suggest that negative regulation of central insulin signaling by PTP1B is not responsible for peripubertal DHT excess-induced reproductive impairments but may mediate its increased adiposity effects.
Orange bagasse as substrate for the production of pectinase and laccase by Botryosphaeria rhodina MAMB-05 in submerged and solid state fermentation
Authors: Giese Ellen C. , Dekker Robert F. H. , Barbosa Aneli M.
Published: July 2023

Orange bagasse comprising pulp tissues, rind, and seeds, constitutes a major industrial food waste arising from processing oranges for juice, and represents a fermentation feedstock for the production of enzymes. Botryosphaeria rhodina MAMB-05 grown on essential oils-extracted orange bagasse in submerged (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) with and without added nutrients produced pectinase and laccase. Highest enzyme titres (pectinase, 32 U ml-1; laccase, 46 U ml-1) occurred in SSF without added nutrients, indicating nutrient sufficiency of orange bagasse at a solids concentration of 16 % (w v-1) to sustain growth and high enzyme titres. Orange essential oil extract added to nutrient medium containing 1 % glucose in SmF strongly inhibited fungal growth with consequent lower laccase and pectinase activities. The results demonstrate the need to remove the essential oils fraction before citrus waste can be successfully used as a fermentation substrate for enzyme production.
A Generalization of LASSO Modeling via Bayesian Interpretation
Authors: Warahena-Liyanage Gayan , Famoye Felix , Lee Carl
Published: July 2023

The aim of this paper is to introduce a generalized LASSO regression model that is derived using a generalized Laplace (GL) distribution. Five different GL distributions are obtained through the T -R{Y } framework with quantile functions of standard uniform, Weibull, log-logistic, logistic, and extreme value distributions. The properties, including quantile function, mode, and Shannon entropy of these GL distributions are derived. A particular case of GL distributions called the beta-Laplace distribution is explored. Some additional components to the constraint in the ordinary LASSO regression model are obtained through the Bayesian interpretation of LASSO with beta-Laplace priors. The geometric interpretations of these additional components are presented. The effects of the parameters from beta-Laplace distribution in the generalized LASSO regression model are also discussed. Two real data sets are analyzed to illustrate the flexibility and usefulness of the generalized LASSO regression model in the process of variable selection with better prediction performance. Consequently, this research study demonstrates that more flexible statistical distributions can be used to enhance LASSO in terms of flexibility in variable selection and shrinkage with better prediction.
Survival analysis of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in New Yangon General Hospital by prognostic indicators
Authors: Htoo Thant Syn , Lwin Swe Mar Myint , Aung May Soe , Nwe Thin Thin
Published: July 2023

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and it can infect anyone resulting in serious illness and death.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in New Yangon General Hospital (NYGH), Yangon between September and November, 2022. Previous records of COVID-19 in-patients admitted to NYGH from 1st June to 31st October, 2021, were reviewed. COVID-19 in-patients who tested positive by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or rapid diagnostic test (RDT) were included in this study. Multivariate analysis by Cox proportional-hazards (CPH) model was used to identify the prognostic indicators associated with the survival of COVID-19 inpatients.
Results: Of (460) COVID-19 positive patients, there were 133 (28.9%) deaths with mortality rate of 16.9 per 1000 person-days. Then, 97 (72.9%) deaths occurred within 21 days of symptom onset, with median survival time of 28 (95% CI: 25-36) days. The results of the CPH model showed that the abnormal chest X-ray (CXR) [aHR=3.8, 95% CI: (1.1, 12.6), p=0.032], SpO2 level below 92% [aHR=3.7, 95% CI: 2.3, 5.9, p<0.001)], serum creatinine level more than 133 µmol/L [aHR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.2, p=0.025] and C-reactive protein level (CRP) more than 10 mg/L [aHR=3.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 12.9, p=0.027] were the prognostic indicators of COVID-19 death among inpatients in NYGH.
Conclusions: Patients with abnormal CXR result, low SpO2 level, high serum creatinine level, and high CRP level may have increased risks of death among COVID-19 inpatients in NYGH. Thus, close monitoring of the hospitalized COVID-19 inpatients by using these prognostic indicators should be emphasized.
Estudio fenológico de las especies forestales Cedrela odorata L (Meliaceae) y Cordia Alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Oken (Boraginaceae) en el municipio de Tumaco, Colombia
Authors: Yela Lara Samia Del Mar , Calzada Valencia Angie Lizeth , Angulo Cabezas Kevin Daniel , Ordoñez Jurado Héctor Ramiro
Published: July 2023

La fenología en árboles tropicales permite identificar eventos recurrentes del ciclo de vida en función de variaciones climáticas, factores edáficos y bióticos. La información sobre las fenofases es clave en el diseño de planes de conservación y manejo de especies nativas, para definir las épocas más adecuadas para la recolección de semillas y producción de plántulas. Este artículo pretende identificar las épocas de ocurrencia de los eventos fenológicos (botón floral, flor abierta, frutos verdes, frutos maduros, caída de follaje y brotación foliar) en Cedrela odorata L y Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Oken, y evaluar la correlación de las fases fenológicas y variables climáticas (precipitación y temperatura). En sistemas agroforestales tradicionales, se identificaron diez individuos para cada especie. Para estos, se realizó el registro mensual de los estados fenológicos durante catorce meses. Para determinar la relación entre variables fenológicas y climáticas, se empleó el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman. En C. odorata, algunas de las fenofases como flores abiertas y frutos verdes presentaron correlación positiva con la temperatura, mientras que en C. alliodora, la aparición de botones florales y brotación de follaje coincidió con los periodos de mayor temperatura. Esto puede atribuirse a que la temperatura es un factor inductor en la continuidad de las fenofases, y que algunos de los patrones fenológicos de las especies están condicionados por los incrementos en la temperatura. Por lo tanto, la fenología de estas especies tropicales no solo está determinada por la temperatura, sino también por otros factores climáticos, edáficos, bióticos y geográficos.
Readers Theater in Virtual Reality
Authors: Peschke Linda , Kiani Anna , Massler Ute , Müller Wolfgang
Published: July 2023

Appropriate techniques for promoting reading fluency are difficult to implement in the classroom. There is little time to provide students with individualized feedback on reading aloud or to moti-vate them to do so. In this context, VR can be beneficial for learning, to provide individualized feedback and for increasing learners' engagement. Studies analyzing established methods of lan-guage learning in school in VR seem to be lacking so far. Therefore, this study project was the first to analyze the acceptance of students towards the implementation of a concept of reading fluency training with students at a secondary school in VR. The study method was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model. The VR environment developed is web-based and provides indi-vidual and collaborative opportunities for training reading fluency, giving, and receiving feed-back, and deepening content understanding of the reading texts. To analyze the acceptance of the VR environment, 5 guided interviews were conducted. The results show that despite technical challenges with the VR environment, students accepted and appreciated the reading fluency training in VR. The integration of established concepts of reading fluency training in foreign lan-guage classrooms has great potential as additional added value can be created to address the challenges of face-to-face instruction.
Impregnating of chitosan onto MoC nanosheets for daylight influenced photocatalytic water remediation
Authors: Venkadajapathy Vimala Rathinam Thiruppathi , krishnan sivarama
Published: July 2023

The functionalization of nanoparticles with 2D nanosheets is an attractive strategy to enhance their functional properties for removing pollutants. Therefore, this work demonstrates the construction of 2D-delaminated molybdenum carbide (MXene) chitosan nanocomposite (2D-d-Mo2CTx-Cs NCs, Tx-surface terminating groups O, OH, and F) with outstanding antibacterial and photocatalytic properties for dye adsorption. Further investigations were conducted using XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS to characterize the synthesized composites. FESEM images of the prepared 2D-d-Mo2CTx-Cs NCs samples showed irregularly structured nanosheet material. An HRTEM image of NCs revealed 2D-d-Mo2CTx nanosheets (NSs) impregnated onto Cs with an average size of 50 nm. Additionally, when exposed to sunlight, the constructed composites successfully adsorb methylene blue with adsorption capacities of 90%. As a result of the synergistic effect of Cs and d-Mo2CTx, they showed dominant antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Further, a biocompatibility test of Mo2CTx-Cs NCs confirmed satisfactory results. The findings of this study reveals that d-Mo2CTx-Cs NCs may have significant promise for antibacterial wound dressings with broad-spectrum activity due to the fabrication of 2D-d-Mo2CTx NSs with Cs network structure. Furthermore, this is the first report describing the use of d-Mo2CTx NCs for antibacterial photocatalytic applications.
Association between Love Breakup and Suicidal Ideation in Peruvian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Valladares-Garrido Danai , Zila-Velasque J. Pierre , Santander-Hernández Flor M. , Guevara-Morales Miguel A. , Morocho-Alburqueque Noelia , Failoc-Rojas Virgilio E. , Pereira-Victorio César J. , Vera-Ponce Víctor J. , León-Figueroa Darwin A. , Valladares-Garrido Mario J.
Published: July 2023

Objective: We aimed to determine the association between a major romantic breakup and suicidal ideation in medical students from three universities in Peru.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the first pandemic wave in 2021 on medical students from three universities in northern Peru. The outcome was suicidal ideation, measured with question nine of the PHQ-9. The exposure was the experience of a major love breakup during the pandemic. In addition, its association with other covariates (age, sex, family members infected with COVID-19, deceased family members with COVID-19, insomnia, and anxiety, among others) was examined.
Results and discussions: Out of 370 students, 19.5% reported a major love breakup during the pandemic (95%CI: 15.5–23.8), and 34.3% had suicidal ideation (95%CI: 29.4–39.4). Having a major love breakup was associated with a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation (PR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.32–1.67). Moderate insomnia (PR: 2.56, 95%CI: 1.70–3.87) and anxiety symptoms (PR: 1.94, 1.10–3.44) were also associated with suicidal ideation.
Conclusion: Our study provides evidence of a significant association between a major love breakup and suicidal ideation. This finding emphasizes the need for further research to better understand this association and inform the development of effective suicide prevention policies in medical education.
Sequence analysis and expression of the IRT1 gene under iron deficiency in amaranth (Amaranthus mangostanus L.)
Authors: Wang Yikun , Wang Kai , You Meng , Fan Hongli
Published: July 2023

Aims
Amaranth (Amaranthus mangostanus L.) is a hyperaccumulator that is effective in remediating soil cadmium (Cd) pollution. The iron-regulated transporter 1 (IRT1) gene, which encodes the iron (Fe) transporter protein, plays a crucial role in Cd uptake in plants, and its expression is induced by Fe deficiency. But its role in amaranth remains unknown.
Methods
In this study, the IRT1 gene from amaranth was cloned for sequence analysis and functional prediction using bioinformatics methods. A hydroponic experiment was performed to study amaranth Cd uptake and its expression under Fe deficiency with treatments of + Fe, −Fe, + Fe + Cd, and − Fe + Cd.
Results
A partial AmIRT1 cDNA sequence encoding 185 amino acids was obtained. Protein structure prediction revealed with almost the entire Pfam ZIP functional domain within the sequence. Functional prediction indicated that the protein was a transmembrane (TM) ion transporter with three TM domains. Using homology comparison and phylogenetic tree analysis, we found that the AmIRT1-encoded protein showed the highest homology with Arabidopsis IRT proteins and clustered with IRT proteins from other plants. The shoot and root Cd concentrations increased by 9.6% and 10.9%, respectively, in − Fe treatment compared with + Fe treatment. Cd accumulation was also observed to increase. Notably, AmIRT1 gene expression increased under both − Fe and − Fe + Cd treatments, but did not change under + Fe and + Fe + Cd treatments.
Conclusions
The structure and properties of the AmIRT1-encoded protein were similar to those of ZIP family members in other plants. Its expression can be increased by regulating Fe nutrition to improve amaranth Cd uptake.
STIGCN: Spatial-Temporal Interaction-aware Graph Convolution Network for Pedestrian Trajectory Prediction
Authors: Chen Wangxing , Sang Haifeng , Wang Jinyu , Zhao Zishan
Published: July 2023

Accurately predicting the future trajectory of pedestrians is critical for tasks such as autonomous driving and robot navigation. Previous methods for pedestrian trajectory prediction dealt with social interaction and pedestrian movement factors either concurrently or sequentially, neglecting the link between them. Therefore, a Spatial-Temporal Interaction-aware Graph Convolution Network (STIGCN) is proposed for pedestrian trajectory prediction. STIGCN considers the correlation between social interaction and pedestrian movement factors to achieve more accurate interaction modeling. Specifically, we first constructed spatial and temporal graphs to model social interactions and movement factors. Then, we designed the spatial-temporal interaction-aware learning to utilize the spatial interaction features of each moment to assist the temporal interaction modeling and utilize the temporal interaction features of each pedestrian to assist the spatial interaction modeling, resulting in more accurate interaction modeling. Finally, a Time-Extrapolator Pyramid Convolution Neural Network (TEP-CNN) is designed to jointly estimate the two-dimensional Gaussian distribution parameters of future trajectories by combining the prediction features from multiple layers. Experimental results on two benchmark pedestrian trajectory prediction datasets show that our proposed method outperforms existing methods in terms of average displacement error and final displacement error and achieves more accurate predictions for pedestrian motions such as convergence and encounter.