bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can width of lower tongue base preoperative sonography measurements predict hypoxemia during esophagogastroduodenoscopy under sedation?
Authors: Wu Hao , Xia Min , Chen Xu , Wang Sheng , Zhang Wei
Published: December 2022

Background: The most common complication during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) under sedation is a decrease in pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) and even the development of hypoxemia. The width of the lower tongue base measured by ultrasound is considered to be a significant predictor of the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). This study aimed to observe the capability of the width of the lower tongue base measured by ultrasound to predict hypoxemia during EGD under sedation.
Methods: Adult patients undergoing EGD under sedation at our hospital after assessment in the anesthesia clinic were enrolled in the study. The width of the lower tongue base was measured as the distance between the lingual arteries (DLA) on both sides of the inferior lateral margin of the tongue by ultrasound. Beside weight and height were recorded. The primary outcome was hypoxemia defined as the SpO2 < 90% at any time during EGD under sedation.
Results: A total of 304 patients were successfully included, and hypoxemia was reported in 32 patients. The DLA prediction criterion for hypoxemia was ＞31 mm. The DLA was correlated with hypoxemia (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.455; P <0.001) and owned the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.927; 99% CI, 0.891 to 0.953, compared with that of the other predictors, P < 0.001) with hypoxemia.
Conclusions: The width of the lower tongue base, measured as the DLA by ultrasound examination can be used to predict the risk of hypoxemia during EGD under sedation effectively. In addition, compared with BMI, DLA measured by ultrasound examination exhibits improved predictive capabilities.
Trial registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000032940, 16/05/2020. https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx
Clinical and sonographic improvement of developmental dysplasia of the hip: Analysis of 948 patients
Authors: Lankinen Vilma , Bakti Karim , Helminen Mika , Välipakka Jarmo , Laivuori Hannele , Hyvärinen Anna
Published: December 2022

Background: Developmental dysplasia of the hip is a common condition, which varies in severity. Abduction treatment is widely used to correct the development of the hips, but mild forms of DDH can also recover spontaneously. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors affecting the rate of improvement of developmental dysplasia of the hip, and evaluate any risk factors slowing the process.
Material and methods: The study population consisted of patients diagnosed with DDH in Tampere University hospital in the years 1998-2018. Data was retrospectively collected and associations between clinical variables and rate of improvement were analyzed. Alpha angles were assessed monthly and associations between risk factors and improvement of alpha angles were studied. Total of 948 patients were included in the analysis.
Results: More sever first status of the hips was associated with faster improvement in dynamic ultrasound compared to milder DDH in univariate design in first 3 months of age, in the multivariable design Ortolani positivity was conversely associated with lower alpha angles in 1-month follow-up. Immediate abduction treatment was associated with faster recovery rate compared to delayed abduction or watchful waiting. Female sex and positive family history were associated with slower rate of improvement and lower alpha angles. In multivariable design, female sex, positive family history and treatment strategy remained statistically significant as initiation time of the treatment explained the first found association of clinical hip status and the recovery rate after 2 months of age.
Conclusion: Female sex and positive family history might be independent risk factors for slower recovery in DDH before six months of age. These children might need special attention in their follow-up plans and abduction treatment.
Particle swarm optimization with dynamic nonlinear inertia weight and population-topology selection strategy for brain functional parcellation from fMRI data
Authors: zhao xuewu , Wu Ning , Liu Chaohui , Li Lingling , Ji Junzhong
Published: December 2022

The brain functional parcellation based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data is a research hotspot in the field of brain science. However, due to the large dimension and low signal-to-noise ratio of fMRI data, the majority of current parcellation methods are ill-equipped to handle it, exhibiting weak search capabilities and poor functional parcellation structures. To address the issues, this paper provides a novel brain functional parcellation method based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) with dynamic nonlinear inertia weight and population-topology selection strategy (called DPPSO). In DPPSO, a functional correlation matrix derived from preprocessed fMRI data is mapped into a low-dimensional space with spectral mapping. Then, DPPSO employs an enhanced PSO to search cluster centers that are encoded as particle positions, where a dynamic nonlinear inertia weight is adopted to balance the global search and the local search, and a population-topology selection strategy for individual historical optimal position in the speed update formula is employed to increase the diversity of particle swarms. Finally, a functional parcellation result is obtained by mapping the cluster labels of low-dimensional data to the corresponding voxels. The experimental results on real fMRI data demonstrate that DPPSO has a stronger search capability and achieves a more better functional parcellation in terms of spatial structures and functional consistency.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as Treatment for Major Depression in a Home Treatment Setting (HomeDC Trial): Study Design and Methodology of a Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Pilotstudy
Authors: Kumpf Ulrike , Ezim Harry , Stadler Matthias , Burkhardt Gerrit , Palm Ulrich , Dechantsreiter Esther , Padberg Frank
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of prefrontal cortex regions has been reported to exert therapeutic effects in major depressive disorder (MDD). Due to its beneficial safety profile, its easy mode of application and its cost-effectiveness, tDCS has recently been proposed for treatment at home, which would offer new chances for regionally wide spread and long-term application. However, tDCS at home has to meet new methodological challenges of handling and adherence, and data from randomized controlled trials (RCT) investigating this mode of application are still lacking. In this pilot RCT, we therefore investigate feasibility, safety and effectiveness of a new tDCS application set-up in MDD.

Methods and analysis

The HomeDC trial will be conducted as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design trial. Thirty-two patients with MDD will be randomized to active or sham tDCS. Patients will self-administer prefrontal tDCS for 6 weeks. Active tDCS will be conducted with anode over F3, cathode over F4, for 5 sessions/week, with a duration of 30min/day and 2mA stimulation intensity, whereas sham tDCS follows the identical protocol in electrode montage and timing but with ramp-in and ramp-out periods only without intermittent stimulation. Both conditions will be administered as monotherapy or adjunctive treatment to a stable dose of antidepressant medication. Feasibility, effectiveness and safety will be assessed, and adjunctive fMRI and e-field modelling will be conducted at baseline.

Discussion

For the HomeDC trial, technical requirements of a placebo-controlled trial in a home-based treatment setting with tDCS have been established. It addresses the crucial points of a home-based treatment approach with tDCS: uniform electrode positioning and frequent monitoring of stimulation parameters and adherence, ensuring an appropriate home treatment environment. This study will allow identifying constraints and further critical topics of this novel mode of application.

Trial Registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov. Trial registration number: NCT05172505. Registration date: 12/13/2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05172505
The average 30-minute post-prandial C-peptide predicted diabetic retinopathy progress ： a retro- prospective study
Authors: Pan Ting , Gao Jie , Cai Xinghua , Zhang Huihui , Lu Jun , Lei Tao
Published: December 2022

Background: The conclusion between Connecting peptide (C-peptide) and diabetic chronic complication was controversial. The purpose of this study is to explore the possible association between average C-peptide with diabetic retinopathy (DR) progression in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: This is a retro-prospective study. 622 patients with type 2 diabetes were included. DR was evaluated using non-mydriatic fundusphotography and DR progression was defined as any deterioration of either eye. Fasting and postprandial c-peptide levels were assayed at baseline and follow-up period. Differences between continuous variables were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test; and categorical variables were analyzed by the chi-square test. Correlation between parameters and 30-minute postprandial C-peptide were determined by Spearman correlation test. The relationship between C-peptide and DR progression was evaluated by multivariable binary logistic regression. Two-tailed P-values < 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant.
Results: DR was present in 162 (26.0%) patients at baseline, and 26.4% of patients were found progression of DR at follow-up. Patients with progression of DR had lower average levels of 30-minute postprandial C-peptide (2.01 ng/ml vs. 2.6 ng/ml, p = 0.015) and 120-minute postprandial C-peptide (3.17 ng/ml vs. 3.92 ng/ml, p < 0.029), as well as average increment of 30-minute (0.41 ng/ml vs. 0.64 ng/ml, p = 0.015) and 120-minute postprandial C-peptide (1.48 ng/ml vs. 1.93 ng/ml, p < 0.017), less than those without DR aggravation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis determined that 30-minute postprandial C-peptide and its increment were related to reduced odds ratios for DR progression (odds ratios [OR] = 0.83 and 0.73, respectively).
Conclusions: Our results suggest that the Average 30-minute post-prandial C-peptide and increment were negatively correlated with DR progression, which further demonstrates the importance to preserve β-cell residual function in the prevention for DR progression.
Trial registration: Not applicable.
Effect of NaClO and ClO2 on the bacterial properties in a reclaimed water distribution system: efficiency and mechanisms
Authors: Jia Shichao , Tian Yimei , Song Yarong , Zhang Haiya , Kang Mengxin , Guo Hao , Chen Haolin
Published: December 2022

Extensively application of reclaimed water alleviated water scarcity obviously. While, bacterial proliferation in reclaimed water distribution systems (RWDSs) poses a threat to water safety. Disinfection is the most common method to control microbial growth. The present study investigated the efficiency and mechanisms of two widely used disinfectants: sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) on the bacterial community and cell integrity in effluents of RWDSs through high-throughput sequencing (Hiseq) and flow cytometry respectively. Results showed that a low disinfectant dose (1 mg/L) did not change the bacterial community basically, while an intermediate disinfectant dose (2 mg/L) reduced the biodiversity significantly. However, some tolerant species survived and multiplied in high disinfectant environments (4 mg/L). Additionally, the effect of disinfection on bacterial properties varied between effluents and biofilm, with changes in the abundance, bacterial community, and biodiversity. Results of flow cytometry showed that NaClO disturbed live bacterial cells rapidly, while ClO2 caused greater damage, stripping the bacterial membrane and exposing the cytoplasm. This research will provide valuable information for assessing the disinfection efficiency, biological stability control, and microbial risk management of reclaimed water supply systems.
Physaria fendleri FAD3-1 overexpression increases ɑ-linolenic acid content in camelina seeds
Authors: Park Mid-Eum , Choi Hyun-A , Kim Hyun Uk
Published: December 2022

Camelina (Camelina sativa) is an oil crop with a short growing period, resistance to drought and cold, low fertilizer requirements, and can be transformed using floral dipping. Camelina seeds have a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially ɑ-linolenic acid (ALA) at 32–38%. ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid (FA) that is a substrate for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the human body. In this study, ALA content was further enhanced by seed-specific expression of Physaria fendleri (Pf) FAD3-1 in camelina. When PfFAD3-1 was introduced into camelina using the seed-specific glycinin promoter, ALA content increased by 48% in T2 seeds and 50% in T3 seeds. In addition, the weight and size of seeds increased. The expression of FA metabolism related genes in GlyP:PfFAD3-1 transgenic camelina was different than that in the wild type, in which the expression of Camelina sativa (Cs) FAD2 decreased and that of CsFAD3 increased. In summary, we developed a high omega-3 FA containing camelina with up to 50% ALA content by introducing PfFAD3-1. This line can be used for genetic engineering to obtain EPA and DHA from seeds.
Association of domain-specific physical activity with chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study
Authors: He Fan , Hu Zixin , Li Yi , Zhang Hui
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Physical activity (PA) is associated with lower risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the evidence of relationship between domain-specific PA and CKD has not been adequately elucidated. We aimed to investigate associations of occupation-related (OPA), transportation-related (TPA) and leisure-time PA (LTPA) with CKD in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods

A total of 19221 participants aged ≥ 45 years from the 2007–2018 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. PA domains were assessed by self-reported questionnaire and categorized based on the PA Guidelines for Americans. CKD defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73m2, or urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio > 30 mg/g.

Results

Participants achieving PA guidelines (≥ 150 min/week) were 23% (Odd ratio [OR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72–0.83), 11% (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81–0.96) and 28% (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.65–0.78) less likely to have CKD depending on total PA, OPA and LTPA, respectively; while TPA was not demonstrated lower risks of CKD. The multivariate-adjusted ratios associated with total PA of 1-149, 150–299 and ≥ 300 min/week were 0.81 (95% CI 0.72–0.90), 0.74 (95% CI 0.65–0.84) and 0.71 (95% CI 0.66–0.78) for CKD, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted ratios associated with OPA of ≥ 300 min/week were 0.88 (95% CI 0.80–0.97) for CKD. The multivariate-adjusted ratios associated with LTPA of 1-149, 150–299 and ≥ 300 min/week were 0.80 (95% CI 0.72–0.90), 0.71 (95% CI 0.62–0.80) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.60–0.76) for CKD, respectively.

Conclusion

LTPA and OPA, but not TPA, was associated with lower risk of CKD in middle-aged and older adults.
Elliptical and spherical heads show similar obligate glenohumeral translation during axial rotation in total shoulder arthroplasty
Authors: Muench Lukas N. , Murphey Matthew , Oei Bridget , Kia Cameron , Obopilwe Elifho , Cote Mark P. , Mazzocca Augustus D. , Berthold Daniel P.
Published: December 2022

Background

Elliptical shape humeral head prostheses have been recently proposed to reflect a more anatomic shoulder replacement. However, its effect on obligate glenohumeral translation during axial rotation compared to a standard spherical head is still not well understood. The purpose of the study was to compare obligate humeral translation during axial rotation using spherical and elliptical shaped humeral head prostheses. It was hypothesized that the spherical head design would show significantly more obligate translation when compared to the elliptical design.

Methods

Six fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders were utilized for biomechanical testing of internal (IR) and external (ER) rotation at various levels of abduction (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°) with lines of pull along each of the rotator cuff muscles. Each specimen underwent the following three conditions: (1) native; total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) using (2) an elliptical and (3) spherical humeral head implant. Obligate translation during IR and ER was quantified using a 3-dimensional digitizer. The radius of curvature of the superoinferior and anteroposterior dimensions of the implants was calculated across each condition.

Results

Posterior and inferior translation of spherical and elliptical heads during ER was similar at all abduction angles (P > 0.05, respectively). Compared to the native humeral head, both implants demonstrated significantly decreased posterior translation at 45° (elliptical: P = 0.003; spherical: P = 0.004) and 60° of abduction (elliptical: P < 0.001; spherical: P < 0.001). During internal rotation at 0° abduction, the spherical head showed significantly more compound motion (P = 0.042) compared to the elliptical head. The spherical implant also demonstrated increased anterior translation and compound motion during internal rotation at 60° abduction (P < 0.001) compared to the resting state. This difference was not significant for the native or elliptical head design at this angle (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

In the setting of TSA, elliptical and spherical head implants showed similar obligate translation during axial rotation. A gained understanding of the consequences of implant head shape in TSA may guide future surgical implant choice for better recreation of native shoulder kinematics and potentially improved patient outcomes.

Level of Evidence

Controlled Laboratory Study
Conformational dynamics of cohesin/Scc2 loading complex are regulated by Smc3 acetylation and ATP binding
Authors: Hu Bin , Kaushik Aditi , Than Thane , Petela Naomi , Voulgaris Menelaos , Percival Charlotte , Daniels Peter , Rafferty John , Nasmyth Kim
Published: December 2022

The ring-shaped cohesin complex is the key player in sister chromatid cohesion, DNA repair, and gene transcription. The loading of cohesin to chromosomes requires the loader Scc2 and is regulated by ATP. This process is also hindered by Smc3 acetylation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this inhibition remains mysterious. Here we identify a novel configuration of Scc2 with pre-engaged cohesin and reveal dynamic conformations of the cohesin/Scc2 complex in the loading reaction. We demonstrate that Smc3 acetylation blocks the association of Scc2 with pre-engaged cohesin by impairing the interaction of Scc2 with Smc3’s head. Lastly, we show that ATP binding induces the cohesin/Scc2 complex to clamp DNA by promoting the interaction between Scc2 and Smc3 coiled coil. Our results illuminate a dynamic reconfiguration of the cohesin/Scc2 complex during loading and indicate how Smc3 acetylation and ATP regulate this process.
High fluorescence performance lignin-based carbon quantum dots prepared by supercritical catalytic and solvothermal treatment for target tumor labelling
Authors: Zhao Siyu , Yue Guihua , Liu Xiaoli , Qin Shiru , Wang Baosu , Zhao Peitao , Ragauskas Arthur J. , Wu Min , Song Xueping
Published: December 2022

The poor fluorescence performance of lignin-based carbon quantum dots (L-CQDs) prepared using the bottom-up method has hindered their development. In this study, a two-step strategy was proposed to efficiently enhance the fluorescence properties of L-CQDs. Lignin was first cracked using an ethanol supercritical/noble metal catalyst; then, the L-CQDs were prepared with the cracked lignin fragments as carbon precursors without adding any modified reagents. Compared with the OL-CQDs prepared by the traditional one-pot hydrothermal method, the L-CQDs-1 prepared from CL-1 containing much low molecular weight compounds, and have photoluminescence (increased from 63 to 975) and excellent up-conversion photoluminescence (enhanced by 16.3 to 963), which significantly enhanced by about 15 times and 60 times, respectively. They can emit bright blue fluorescence under both ultraviolet and near-infrared light irradiation owing to a large amount of surface defects caused by the rich compound composition. When L-CQDs-1 were combined with, and quenched by folic acid (FA), the prepared FA@L-CQDs-1 show the ability to target and label tumor cells. This study opens new avenues for the preparation of L-CQDs with high fluorescence performance using lignocellulosic material without heteroatom additives.
2D/2D g-C 3 N 4 /BiOCl with oxygen vacancy heterostructure by grinding for improved visible-light-driven photocatalyst
Authors: Hou Jianhua , Wang Haoyi , Qin Rongrong , Zhang Qikai , Wu Di , Hou Zhenhua , Yang Wei , Tahir Muhammad , Hussain Asif , Yin Weiqin , Zhang Yongcai , Wang Xiaozhi
Published: December 2022

Here, a novel 2D/2D g-C3N4/BiOCl (CN/BOC) heterojunction photocatalyst is synthesized by grinding at room temperature. The porous CN nanosheets not only facilitate the in situ nucleation and growth of BOC to form thin nanosheets and constitute an intimate contact interface, but also introduce more oxygen vacancies (OVs) in the grinding process. The 2D/2D structure of the CN/BOC heterojunction has a good interface and generates a built-in electric field, which can improve the photogenerated e− and h+ separation. The synergistic effect of the heterostructure and OVs makes the photocatalyst function significantly better than the single CN and BOC under visible light. The preferred CN/BOC-5 heterojunction of the degradation rate for tetracycline (TC) is 89.8% within 2 h, which is 1.9 and 1.2 times faster than CN and BOC. It also reduced CO2 to CO at a rate of 2.00 µ mol h− 1 g− 1, 1.1 and 3.2 times faster than CN and BOC, respectively. The mechanism for the photocatalytic of CN/BOC-5 is revealed. It implies, that the effectiveness of photo-induced carrier separation and visible-light photo-absorption are both considerably increased by the synergistic interaction between OVs and 2D/2D heterojunction. This research may open up new possibilities for the logical design of effective photocatalysts through 2D/2D heterojunctions with OVs as an easy way for environmental remediation.
Unexpected findings: Loss of Corneal Endothelial Cells in Uygur Patients with Exfoliation syndrome in XinJiang, China
Authors: Ma Yinu , Li Qin , Dong Yue , Yi Xianglong
Published: December 2022

Purpose: This study had investigated anterior segment parameters in XFS/G patients.
Methods: This was a retrospective case series. Totally 56 (112 eyes) unrelated XFS/G (XFS, 26/60 eyes; XFG, 30/44 eyes) cases and 100 (200 eyes) age-related cataract cases (control group) were assessed, who attended the ophthalmology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. Clinical data, including eye axis (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), white to white (W-W), central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), were collected for statistical analysis.
Results: ECD significantly differed between the XFS/G and age-related cataract groups, but the remaining indexes were not statistically different. Ocular parameters in patients with XFS and XFG differed from those of age-related cataract cases, and these results were consistent. XFS and XFG patients had no statistically significant differences.
Conclusions: ECD is reduced in XFS/G patients compared with age-related cataract subjects. One should still be vigilant to improve the safety of surgery in XFS/G patients and to prevent the problem before it occurs.
Long-term treatments results for papillary thyroid carcinoma at a single general hospital
Authors: Kojima Tsuyoshi , Oyagi Seiji , Okanoue Yusuke , Hori Ryusuke , Shoji Kazuhiko , Takagita Shin-ichi
Published: December 2022

Purpose: As papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a slow-growing tumor, there are cases where recurrence or metastasis occurs more than 10 years after treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to consider long-term outcomes. In this study, we reported the long-term prognosis of patients with PTC at our institution. Methods: Our retrospective study was conducted on 445 patients with PTC who underwent an initial operation between 1977 and 1996 at our institution and were followed up for at least 1 year. The average age at initial surgery was 52 years, and the mean observation period was 20 years. Results: The disease-specific survival rates (DSS) at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were 98.6%, 97.1%, 96.2%, 95.5%, and 94.5%, respectively. There were significant differences in OS according to sex, age, pathological node metastasis, and distant metastasis in the multivariate analysis. In patients aged < 55 years, the disease-free survival rates (DFS) at 20 years was 86.5%, while the DSS was 99.1% in stage II. In patients aged ≥ 55 years, DSS and DFS worsened with increasing stage. In N + patients classified as stage II, the prognosis was worse, especially in patients with N1b disease. Conclusion: In patients aged ≥ 55 years, aggressive treatment was necessary for stage III/IV and N1b cases classified as stage II. With the development and widespread use of more advanced equipment, it is expected that treatment decisions will be made based on more accurate preoperative examinations in the future.
Protocol for a multi-site randomised controlled feasibility study investigating intermittently scanned blood glucose monitoring for gestational diabetes- the RECOGNISE study
Authors: Davies Anna , Lenguerrand Erik , Scott Eleanor , Kandiyali Rebecca , Douek Isabelle , Norman Jane , Loose Abi , Sawyer Lynn , Timlin Laura , Burden Christy
Published: December 2022

Abstract Background: Incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing and is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes including macrosomia, pre-eclampsia and pre-term delivery. Optimum glycaemic control is associated with reduction in adverse perinatal outcomes. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) informs users about interstitial glucose levels allowing early detection of glycaemic excursions and pharmacological or behavioural intervention. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) of CGM in pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus demonstrate effectiveness for improved perinatal outcomes. Few adequately powered RCTs to evaluate CGM for adverse perinatal outcomes in women with GDM have been undertaken.
We aim to establish the feasibility of a multi-site RCT to evaluate the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of an intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitor (isCGM) compared with self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) in women with GDM for reducing fetal macrosomia and improving maternal and fetal outcomes. We will evaluate recruitment and retention rates, adherence to device requirements, adequacy of data capture and acceptability of trial design and isCGM devices. Methods: Open-label multicentre randomised controlled feasibility trial. Inclusion criteria: pregnant women, singleton pregnancy, recent diagnosis of GDM (within 14 days of commencing medication, up to 32+0 weeks gestation) prescribed metformin and/or insulin. Women will be consecutively recruited and randomised to isCGM (FreestyleLibre2) or SMBG. At every antenatal visit, glucose measurements will be evaluated. The SMBG group will use blinded isCGM for 14 days at baseline (~12-32 weeks) and ~34-36 weeks. The primary outcome is the recruitment rate and absolute number of women participating. Clinical assessments of maternal and fetal/infant health will be undertaken at baseline, birth, up to ~13 weeks postnatal. Psychological, behavioural and health economic measures will be assessed at baseline and ~34-36 weeks gestation. Qualitative interviews will be undertaken with study decliners, participants and professionals to explore trial acceptability, of using isCGM and SMBG.
Discussion: GDM can negatively impact pregnancy outcomes. isCGM could offer a timely, easy-to-engage-with intervention, to improve glycaemic control, potentially reducing adverse pregnancy, birth and long-term health outcomes for mother and child. This study will determine the feasibility of conducting a large-scale multisite RCT of isCGM in women with GDM.
Trial registration: This study has been registered with the ISRCTN(reference:
ISRCTN42125256, Date registered: 07/11/2022)
https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN42125256
Sustainable coke-resistant Ca-Al nano-sized catalyst for cogenerating of H2 and high value liquid fuels via pyrolysis catalytic steam reforming reaction of the polystyrene-phenol mixture
Authors: Nabgan Walid , Ikram Muhammad , Alqaraghuli Hasan , Parashuram Lakshminarayana , Tran Thuan Van , Abdullah Tuan Amran Tuan , Djellabi Ridha , Medina Francisco
Published: December 2022

The main challenge of pyrolysis-catalytic steam reforming to convert polystyrene wastes into high value products is the low selectivity and coke formation on the catalyst's surface. This work aims to design a highly catalytic active precious metal-free Ca-Al nanocatalyst, synthesized by impregnation and hydrothermal routes, for the conversion of polystyrene (PS) dissolved in phenol into H2gas and liquid fuels via pyrolysis-catalytic steam reforming reaction using a well-designed setup reactor. The effect of physicochemical properties of the catalyst on the conversion mechanism. It was found that the catalyst with high γ-Al2O3 content (2Ca3Al) had an excellent overall performance due to its high surface area, sufficient holes uniformly distributed Ca and Al alloy, surface hydroxyl groups, and oxygen vacancies. The obtained phenol conversion and H2yield of the 2Ca3Al nanocatalyst at 700oC were 98.5% and 92.5%, respectively. The main detected compounds in the liquid product were tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide (TBH) and Dixanthogen. The relationship between the acidity of the catalyst's surface and the coke formation, which directly influences the performance and deactivation, was investigated. The results showed that the catalyst with higher acidity contents showed weaker resistance against coke formation. The as-prepared catalyst showed excellent performance and anti-coke formation, which would be applied for the simultaneous generation of hydrogen and valuable liquid fuels and the recycling of plastic wastes.
Integrated Transcriptome Profiling Identifies Prognostic Hub genes as Therapeutic Targets of Selenium Deficiency in Chick’s Model: Evidenced by Bioinformatic Analysis
Authors: Lingamgunta Lakshman Kumar , Aloor Bindu Prasuna , Gonuguntla Sailaja , Dasari Sreenivasulu , Ramakrishnan Ranjani , Gopal Shankar , Sade Ankanna
Published: December 2022

Selenium deficiency is one of the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in the global health issues. Hence, in this investigation, we aimed to explore the key genes and biological pathways associated with selenium deficiency linked with selenium status. Chickens were fed a basal diet, a selenium-deficient diet for 10 weeks. The integrated analysis discovered differential expressed genes between the selenium-deficient and normal samples. Multiple approaches, includes GO analysis (g: Profilers database) and pathway analysis (KEGGs), were employed to functionally annotate the DEGs through R program. The protein-protein interactions (PPI) network, and their visualization, gene cluster, hub genes were identified through the STRING, Cytoscape plugin MCODE, CytoHubba, and CancerGeneNet tool. Our results revealed that administration of selenium-deficient diet markedly reduced plasma selenium concentration. Next, a total of 10,266 DEGs (213 upregulated and 237 downregulated) were identified. GO and KEGGs pathway showed that regulation of cell functions, and cancer pathways. Cytoscape demonstrated that eight modules, ten significant hub genes and CancerGeneNet tool revealed that all hub genes were involved in tumorigenesis pathways. Overall, our investigation offered ten hub genes that could be used as precise diagnostic and prognostic candidate biomarkers of selenium-deficiency might be used as treatment strategy in animal and humans.
Novel Artificial Intelligence platform leads to the discovery of new protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitors
Authors: Barker Abigail L. , Geva Yosef , Simonovsky Eyal , Shemesh Netta , Phillip Yael , Shub Ifat , Dayan Franck E.
Published: December 2022

Weed control is essential in modern agriculture, though it has become more difficult with the emergence of resistance to most current herbicides and a slow registration process of new compounds. A new approach to identify possible herbicide candidates using an artificial intelligence algorithm that takes into effect biological parameters with the goal of reducing R&D time on new herbicides. Herein we describe the discovery of 4-chloro-2-pentenamides as novel inhibitors of protoporphyrinogen oxidase, a known herbicide target site, by the Agrematch AI. The herbicidal activity is confirmed in greenhouse assays, with the highest performing AGR001 showing good activity pre-emergent at 150 g/ha and post emergent as low as 50 g/ha on the troublesome weed palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri). A lack of activity is reported on PPO resistant palmer amaranth carrying the glycine 210 deletion (ΔG210) mutation. The mechanism of action is confirmed by the herbicide-dependent accumulation of protoporphyrin IX, subsequent light-dependent loss of membrane integrity, and direct in vitro inhibition of protoporphyrinogen oxidase. Modeling of the docking of these inhibitors in the active site of protoporphyrinogen oxidase illustrates that their flexible side chains can accommodate a number of poses in the catalytic domain.
Anthropogenic and natural footprints of climate change and environmental degradation in the Honnamanakere Lake, Western Ghats, southern India during the past 753 years
Authors: Mir Ishfaq Ahmad , Jaiswal Jooly , Bharti Nisha , Dabhi Ankur , Bhushan Ravi
Published: December 2022

Anthropogenic contamination is damaging the fragile Western Ghats making it necessary to understand the historical pollution. Radiocarbon dated sediment core covering the past 753 years is investigated to reconstruct the paleoclimate and paleotoxicity in Honnamanakere Lake, southern India. Increased sedimentation, weathering, organic carbon, and clay fraction during the medieval and modern warm periods indicate stronger southwest monsoon rainfall than during the little ice age. A decrease in silt content at the core location during warm periods suggests high lake levels. Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg except Ni content is increasing from bottom to top of the core. Multivariate statistics suggest natural sources for organic carbon and weathering products, agrochemical sources for Cr, Cu, Zn, atmospheric sources for Pb and Hg, and mixed sources for Ni. The enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index are increasing from the bottom to top of the core. Cr and Ni are significantly enriched and extremely contaminated and exhibit the most severe threat to the water body. The toxic risk index of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg suggests no toxic risk, Cr suggests low toxic risk and Ni suggests moderate toxic risk. The combined toxic risk of heavy metals suggests considerable to very high toxic risk. The mean probable-effects-levels quotient suggests heavy metals are posing a 49% toxic risk to the water body and its biota. In the sediment core, there is an increase in heavy metals enrichment, accumulation, and toxic risks during the past 300 years which is synchronous with the anthropogenic Industrial era.
Radiomics Characterization of Tissues in an Animal Brain Tumor Model Imaged Using Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) MRI
Authors: Bagher-Ebadian Hassan , Brown Stephen , Ghassemi Mohammad , Nagaraja Tavarekere , Movsas Benjamin , Ewing James , Chetty Indrin
Published: December 2022

Purpose: Here, we investigate radiomics-based characterization of tumor vascular and microenvironmental properties in an orthotopic rat brain tumor model measured using dynamic-contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI.
Methods: Thirty-two immune compromised-RNU rats implanted with human U-251N cancer cells were imaged using DCE-MRI (7Tesla, Dual-Gradient-Echo). The aim was to perform pharmacokinetic analysis using a nested model (NM) selection technique to classify brain regions according to vasculature properties considered as the source of truth. A two-dimensional convolutional-based radiomics analysis was performed on the raw-DCE-MRI of the rat brains to generate dynamic radiomics maps. The raw-DCE-MRI and respective radiomics maps were used to build 28 unsupervised Kohonen self-organizing-maps (K-SOMs). A Silhouette-Coefficient (SC) and feature engineering analyses were performed on the feature spaces of the K-SOMs to quantify the distinction power of different radiomics features compared to raw-DCE-MRI for classification of different nested models.
Results: Results showed that eight radiomics features outperformed respective raw-DCE-MRI in prediction of the three nested models. The average percent difference in SCs between radiomics features and raw-DCE-MRI was: 29.875%±12.922%, p<0.001.
Conclusions: This work establishes an important first step toward spatiotemporal characterization of brain regions using radiomics signatures, which is fundamental toward staging of tumors and evaluation of tumor response to different treatments.
Plasma exosomal derived CCDC18AS1/miR-6835-5p/CCND2 axis sever as biomarkers for diagnosis and predicting therapeutic effect of Adolescent with MDD
Authors: Xu Yifan , Du Xinzhe , Zhang Rong , Huang Yangxi , Gao Yao , Wen Yujiao , Qiao Dan , Sun Ning , Liu Zhifen
Published: December 2022

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescence seriously endangers their mental and physical health and is associated with poor social and scholastic function. However, the diagnosis and therapeutic biomarkers for adolescent with MDD remain unclear. Circulating exosomes could package nucleic acids from host cells and deliver them to recipient cells to play a vital role in intercellular communications, which are widely considered to be crucial for biomarker discovery for clinical diagnostics and therapy. Results In discovery set, we conducted microarray analysis to detect differential expression lncRNAs and mRNAs of plasma exosome and performed bioinformation analysis to construct lncRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs networks from 10 adolescent MDD patients and 10 healthy controls, identifying 3752 differential expression lncRNAs and 1789 differential expression mRNAs and selecting AC156455.1/miR-126-5p/AAK1 and CCDC18AS1/miR-6835-5p/CCND2 axes from networks as candidate genes. In the validation set, candidate lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were verified in 64 adolescent MDD patients (MDD group) and 30 healthy controls (HC group) using qrt-PCR. We found that six candidate genes were differential expression between MDD group and HC group, or before and after antidepressant treatment of MDD group. The expression levels of AAK1, CCDC18AS1 and miR6835 were differences in therapeutic effects. We also found that the expression of CCDC18AS1/miR-6835-5p/CCND2 axis at baseline could predicted sertraline therapeutic effects, which may be mediated through improving suicidal ideation and cognitive function. Conclusion Our study identified and validated the plasma exosme derived lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs altered in adolescent with MDD, and provided potential diagnosis and therapeutic biomarkers for adolescent with MDD.
Distance and Weightage-based Identification of Most Critical and Vulnerable locations of Surface Water Pollution in Kabul River Tributaries
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Alam M. Mahboob , khan Shahbaz , khan Ilyas , Eldin Sayed M
Published: December 2022

Water plays a key role in the economic growth of an agricultural country. Pakistan is a farming country that uses almost 90% of its water resources for agricultural purposes. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan is blessed with extensive surface water resources. In addition to using groundwater resources for irrigation, large parts of its flat plains are irrigated with the Kabul River surface water. Due to large population growth and unregulated small/local scale industries in the region, surface water quality deteriorated with time. Which impacts people's health when polluted surface water is used for irrigation purposes. This research investigates the surface water quality of Kabul River's different tributaries and identifies the most critical locations in terms of water quality. Various physical, chemical, and biological parameters at ten sites on as many Kabul River tributaries are examined to investigate surface water quality. The distance and weightage-based identification method is used to identify the most critical and vulnerable locations for each parameter. The maximum seven critical values determined against the Bara River using the weightage-based method, i.e., 17.5, 5.95, 7.35, 27.65, 1.75, 0.35, and 10.45 for total alkalinity, sodium, total hardness, magnesium, total suspended solids, BOD, and turbidity. In comparison, the distance-based iteration method is used to identify the most vulnerable location against the specific parameter. All the results are finally compared with the interpolated values over the entire region using Kriging interpolation. The areas are mostly the same identified through the distance and weightage-based method. The results will guide the competent authority to install the monitoring station and treatment plants for specific parameters responsible for the critical location and to stop further contamination of the particular parameter near the threshold.
Predictors of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months: An analytical cross-sectional study in Ardabil health centers, Iran, 2020
Authors: Mashoufi Mehrnaz , Shadman Atefeh , Mardi Afrouz , Gharajedaghy Hadi
Published: December 2022

Background
Mother’s own milk has been considered the perfect food for babies for the first 6 months. Several factors predict the successful continuation of breastfeeding. The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months among infants in Ardabil health centers in Iran, 2020.
Methods
An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 379 lactating women who had infants over 6 months and attended in health care centers of Ardabil city in 2020. Health centers were selected by cluster-stratified method. Convenience sample approach was used to recruit the eligible lactating mothers. The information of mothers and their infants was included in the pre-prepared checklists. This information was statistically analyzed by SPSS 23 software. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictive power of related factors.
Results
The results showed that more than half of the infants (51.71%) were exclusively breastfed for 6 months, and the majority (46.9%) of these infants were the first child in the family, the majority (85.2%) were born by vaginal birth and the first feeding in 98% of cases was in the first half hour after birth. Among the variables related to exclusive breastfeeding, only the predictive power of breastfeeding in the first half hour after birth was confirmed (p = 0.002). In other words, breastfeeding soon after birth increased almost 6 times the probability of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months.
Conclusions
Based on the results, breastfeeding soon after birth had a high predictive power in the continuation of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months. Considering the very important role of exclusive breastfeeding in maintaining and ensuring of the maternal and child health, it is suggested to emphasize and pay more attention to initiation of breastfeeding in newborn infant as soon as possible.
PKC-ζ is in charge of Extracellular Vesicles-associated TGF-β1 secretion for radiotherapy resistance in breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Fayun , Zheng Zifeng , Wang Luoyang , Zeng Wenfeng , Wei Wenjing , Zhang Chunling , Zhao Ziran , Liang Wei
Published: December 2022

Background: Radiotherapy is widely applied to breast cancer treatment, while the resistance to radiotherapy is inevitable. TGF-β1 has been considered to be an endogenous factor for RT resistance. As a large portion of TGF-β1 is secreted associating with the extracellular vesicles (TGF-β1EV), to understand the regulation mechanisms and the immunosuppressive function of TGF-β1EV in the radiated tumors will pay a way for overcoming radiotherapy resistance.
Methods: Based on TCGA database of 958 samples, the intratumoral TGF-β1 expression and the Tregs production were compared between patients received and unreceived radiotherapy. The superoxide-Zinc-PKC-ζ-TGF-β1EV pathway in breast cancer cells were identified through sequence alignments of different PKC isoforms, speculation and experimental confirmation. A series of functional and molecular studies were performed by quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and flow cytometry analysis. Mice survival and tumor growth was determined using observation of the animals and tumor growth measurement. Student’s t test or type II ANOVA with correction was used for comparisons of groups.
Results: The radiotherapy brought the increased intratumoral TGF-β1 expression and the Tregs production in the breast cancer tissues, and patients with higher TGF-β1 expression are associated with a poor survival. The increased intratumoral TGF-β mainly exists in the extracellular vesicles associated form both in the murine breast cancer model and in the human lung cancer tissues. Furthermore, radiation induced the more secretion of the TGF-β1EV and the higher percentage of Tregs by promoting protein kinase C zeta (PKC-ζ) expression and phosphorylation. Importantly, we found that naringenin rather than 1D11 significantly improve radiotherapy efficacy with low side effects. The underlying mechanism of naringenin is via downregulating radiation activated the superoxide-Zinc-PKC-ζ-TGF-β1EV pathway, which is distinct from TGF-β1 neutralizing antibody 1D11.
Conclusions: The superoxide-zinc-PKC-ζ-TGF-β1EV release pathway was elucidated to induce the accumulation of Tregs resulting in radiotherapy resistance in the TME. Therefore, targeting PKC-ζ to counteract TGF-β1EV function could represent a novel strategy to overcome radioresistance in breast cancer treatment or other cancers.
Trial registration: Using of tissues from patients with malignant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) was approved by the ethics committees at Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China (NCC2022C-702, from June 8th, 2022).