bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations of time-weighted individual exposure to ambient particulate matter with carotid atherosclerosis in Beijing, China
Authors: Han Ze , Zhao Xiaoyu , Xu Zongkai , Wang Jinqi , Jin Rui , Liu Yueruijing , Wu Zhiyuan , Zhang Jie , Li Xia , Guo Xiuhua , Tao Lixin
Published: May 2023

Background

Time-location information (time spent on commuting, indoors and outdoors around residential and work places and physical activity) and infiltrated outdoor pollution was less considered estimating individual exposure to ambient air pollution. Studies investigating the association between individual exposure to particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter < 10 μm (PM10) and < 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and carotid atherosclerosis presented inconsistent results. Moreover, combined effect of pollutants on carotid atherosclerosis was not fully explored. We aimed to investigate the association between long-term individual time-weighted average exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 and the risk of carotid atherosclerosis, and further explore the overall effect of co-exposure to pollutants on carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods

The study population included 3069 participants derived from the Beijing Health Management Cohort (BHMC) study. Daily concentration of ambient air pollutants was estimated by land-use regression model at both residential and work addresses, and one- and two-year time-weighted average individual exposure was calculated by further considering personal activity pattern and infiltration of ambient air pollution indoors. We explored the association of PM2.5 and PM10 with carotid atherosclerosis and pooled the overall effect of co-exposure to ambient air pollutants by quantile g-computation.

Results

A significant association between time-weighted average exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 and carotid atherosclerosis was observed. Per interquartile range increase in two-year exposure to PM2.5 (Hazard ratio (HR): 1.322, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.219–1.434) and PM10 (HR:1.213, 95% CI: 1.116–1.319) showed the strongest association with carotid atherosclerosis, respectively. Individuals in higher quartiles of pollutants were at higher risk for carotid atherosclerosis compared with those in the lowest quartile group. Concentration response functions documented the nearly linear and nonlinear relationship and interpreted the upward trends of the risk for carotid atherosclerosis with increasing level of pollutant concentrations. Moreover, effect estimates for the mixture of pollutants and carotid atherosclerosis were larger than any of the individual pollutants (HR (95% CI) was 1.510 (1.338–1.704) and 1.613 (1.428–1.822) per quartile increase for one-year and two-year time-weighted average exposure, respectively).

Conclusions

Individual time-weighted average exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 was associated with carotid atherosclerosis. Co-exposure to ambient air pollution was also positively associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
Association between lipid-A-producing oral bacteria of different potency and fractional exhaled nitric oxide in a Norwegian population-based adult cohort
Authors: Khomich Maryia , Lin Huang , Malinovschi Andrei , Brix Susanne , Cestelli Lucia , Peddada Shyamal , Johannessen Ane , Eriksen Carsten , Real Francisco Gomez , Svanes Cecilie , Bertelsen Randi Jacobsen
Published: May 2023

Background

Lipid A is the primary immunostimulatory part of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecule. The inflammatory response of LPS varies and depends upon the number of acyl chains and phosphate groups in lipid A which is specific for a bacterial species or strain. Traditional LPS quantification assays cannot distinguish between the acylation degree of lipid A molecules, and therefore little is known about how bacteria with different inflammation-inducing potencies affect fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). We aimed to explore the association between pro-inflammatory hexa- and less inflammatory penta-acylated LPS-producing oral bacteria and FeNO as a marker of airway inflammation.

Methods

We used data from a population-based adult cohort from Norway (n = 477), a study center of the RHINESSA multi-center generation study. We applied statistical methods on the bacterial community- (prediction with MiRKAT) and genus-level (differential abundance analysis with ANCOM-BC) to investigate the association between the oral microbiota composition and FeNO.

Results

We found the overall composition to be significantly associated with increasing FeNO levels independent of covariate adjustment, and abundances of 27 bacterial genera to differ in individuals with high FeNO vs. low FeNO levels. Hexa- and penta-acylated LPS producers made up 2.4% and 40.8% of the oral bacterial genera, respectively. The Bray–Curtis dissimilarity within hexa- and penta-acylated LPS-producing oral bacteria was associated with increasing FeNO levels independent of covariate adjustment. A few single penta-acylated LPS producers were more abundant in individuals with low FeNO vs. high FeNO, while hexa-acylated LPS producers were found not to be enriched.

Conclusions

In a population-based adult cohort, FeNO was observed to be associated with the overall oral bacterial community composition. The effect of hexa- and penta-acylated LPS-producing oral bacteria was overall significant when focusing on Bray–Curtis dissimilarity within each of the two communities and FeNO levels, but only penta-acylated LPS producers appeared to be reduced or absent in individuals with high FeNO. It is likely that the pro-inflammatory effect of hexa-acylated LPS producers is counteracted by the dominance of the more abundant penta-acylated LPS producers in this population-based adult cohort involving mainly healthy individuals.
A multicenter chart review of patient characteristics, treatment, and outcomes in hereditary angioedema: unmet need for more effective long-term prophylaxis
Authors: Mendivil Joan , DerSarkissian Maral , Banerji Aleena , Diwakar Lavanya , Katelaris Constance H. , Keith Paul K. , Kim Harold , Lacuesta Gina , Magerl Markus , Slade Charlotte , Smith William B. , Choudhry Zia , Simon Angela , Sarda Sujata P. , Busse Paula J.
Published: May 2023

Background

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disease characterized by unpredictable, recurring subcutaneous or submucosal swelling. Without effective therapy, HAE can negatively impact patients’ quality of life. Management of HAE includes on-demand treatment of attacks and short- and long-term prophylaxis (LTP) to prevent attacks. Newer therapies may be more tolerable and effective in managing HAE; however, therapies such as androgens are still widely used in some countries owing to their relative ease of access and adequate disease control for some patients. This study evaluated the characteristics, treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, and healthcare resource utilization of a multinational cohort of patients with HAE, with a focus on understanding reasons for recommending or discontinuing available therapies.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted at 12 centers in six countries and included data from patients with HAE type 1 or 2 who were ≥ 12 years of age at their first clinical visit. The relationship between LTP use and attack rates was evaluated using a multivariable Poisson regression model. Data were collected between March 2018 and July 2019.

Results

Data from 225 patients were collected (62.7% female, 86.2% White, 90.2% type 1); 64.4% of patients had their first HAE-related visit to the center prior to or during 2014. Treatment patterns varied between countries. Overall, 85.8% of patients were prescribed on-demand treatment and 53.8% were prescribed LTP, most commonly the androgen danazol (53.7% of patients who used LTP). Plasma-derived C1 inhibitor (Cinryze®) was used by 29.8% of patients for LTP. Patients who received LTP had a significantly lower rate of HAE attacks than patients who did not receive any LTP (incidence rate ratio (95% confidence interval) 0.90 (0.84–0.96)). Androgens were the most commonly discontinued therapy (51.3%), with low tolerability cited as the most frequent reason for discontinuation (50.0%).

Conclusions

Overall, findings from this study support the use of LTP in the prevention of HAE attacks; a lower rate of attacks was observed with LTP compared with no LTP. However, the type of LTP used varied between countries, with tolerability and accessibility to specific treatments playing important roles in management decision-making.
Improving the quality of chemical language model outcomes with atom-in-SMILES tokenization
Authors: Ucak Umit V. , Ashyrmamatov Islambek , Lee Juyong
Published: May 2023

Tokenization is an important preprocessing step in natural language processing that may have a significant influence on prediction quality. This research showed that the traditional SMILES tokenization has a certain limitation that results in tokens failing to reflect the true nature of molecules. To address this issue, we developed the atom-in-SMILES tokenization scheme that eliminates ambiguities in the generic nature of SMILES tokens. Our results in multiple chemical translation and molecular property prediction tasks demonstrate that proper tokenization has a significant impact on prediction quality. In terms of prediction accuracy and token degeneration, atom-in-SMILES is more effective method in generating higher-quality SMILES sequences from AI-based chemical models compared to other tokenization and representation schemes. We investigated the degrees of token degeneration of various schemes and analyzed their adverse effects on prediction quality. Additionally, token-level repetitions were quantified, and generated examples were incorporated for qualitative examination. We believe that the atom-in-SMILES tokenization has a great potential to be adopted by broad related scientific communities, as it provides chemically accurate, tailor-made tokens for molecular property prediction, chemical translation, and molecular generative models.
Suppression of TGFβR-Smad3 pathway alleviates the syrinx induced by syringomyelia
Authors: Liu Sumei , Ma Longbing , Qi Boling , Li Qian , Chen Zhiguo , Jian Fengzeng
Published: May 2023

Background

Syringomyelia is a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) disorder resulted in separation of pain and temperature, dilation of central canal and formation of syrinx in central canal. It is unclear about mechanisms of the dilation and syrinx formation. We aimed to investigate roles of ependymal cells lining central canal on the dilation, trying to reduce syrinx formation in central canal.

Methods

We employed 78 Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats totally with syringomyelia to detect the contribution of ependymal cells to the dilation of central canal. Immunofluorescence was used to examine the activation of ependymal cells in 54 syringomyelia rat models. BrdU was used to indicate the proliferation of ependymal cells through intraperitoneal administration in 6 syringomyelia rat models. 18 rats with syringomyelia were injected with SIS3, an inhibitor of TGFβR-Smad3, and rats injected with DMSO  were used as control. Among the 18 rats, 12 rats were used for observation of syrinx following SIS3 or DMSO administration by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on day 14 and day 30 under syringomyelia without decompression. All the data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (mean ± SD). Differences between groups were compared using the two-tailed Student’s t-test or ANOVA. Differences were considered significant when *p < 0.05.

Results

Our study showed the dilation and protrusions of central canal on day 5 and enlargement from day 14 after syringomyelia induction in rats with activation of ependymal cells lining central canal. Moreover, the ependymal cells contributed to protrusion formation possibly through migration along with central canal. Furthermore, suppression of TGFβR-Smad3 which was crucial for migration reversed the size of syrnix in central canal without treatment of decompression, suggesting TGFβR-Smad3 signal might be key for dilation of central canal and formation of syrinx.

Conclusions

The size of syrinx was decreased after SIS3 administration without decompression. Our study depicted the mechanisms of syrinx formation and suggested TGFβR-Smad3 signal might be key for dilation of central canal and formation of syrinx.
TRIM67 alleviates cerebral ischemia‒reperfusion injury by protecting neurons and inhibiting neuroinflammation via targeting IκBα for K63-linked polyubiquitination
Authors: Yu Yongbo , Xia Qian , Zhan Gaofeng , Gao Shuai , Han Tangrui , Mao Meng , Li Xing , Wang Yonghong
Published: May 2023

Background

Excessive and unresolved neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of many neurological disorders, such as ischemic stroke, yet there are no effective treatments. Tripartite motif-containing 67 (TRIM67) plays a crucial role in the control of inflammatory disease and pathogen infection-induced inflammation; however, the role of TRIM67 in cerebral ischemia‒reperfusion injury remains poorly understood.

Results

In the present study, we demonstrated that the expression level of TRIM67 was significantly reduced in middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) mice and primary cultured microglia subjected to oxygen–glucose deprivation and reperfusion. Furthermore, a significant reduction in infarct size and neurological deficits was observed in mice after TRIM67 upregulation. Interestingly, TRIM67 upregulation alleviated neuroinflammation and cell death after cerebral ischemia‒reperfusion injury in MCAO/R mice. A mechanistic study showed that TRIM67 bound to IκBα, reduced K48-linked ubiquitination and increased K63-linked ubiquitination, thereby inhibiting its degradation and promoting the stability of IκBα, ultimately inhibiting NF-κB activity after cerebral ischemia.

Conclusion

Taken together, this study demonstrated a previously unidentified mechanism whereby TRIM67 regulates neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis and strongly indicates that upregulation of TRIM67 may provide therapeutic benefits for ischemic stroke.

Graphical Abstract
A combined priority scheduling method for distributed machine learning
Authors: Du TianTian , Xiao GongYi , Chen Jing , Zhang ChuanFu , Sun Hao , Li Wen , Geng YuDong
Published: May 2023

Algorithms and frameworks for distributed machine learning have been widely used in numerous artificial intelligence engineering applications. A cloud platform provides a large number of resources at a lower cost and is a more convenient method for such applications. With the rapid development of containerization, native cloud combinations based on Docker and Kubernetes have provided effective resource support for distributed machine learning. However, native Kubernetes does not provide efficient priority or fair resource scheduling strategies for distributed machine learning in computationally intensive and time-consuming jobs, which easily leads to resource deadlock, resource waste, and low job execution efficiency. Therefore, to utilize the execution order between multiple jobs in distributed machine learning as well as the dependencies between multiple tasks for the same job, considering intra- and inter-group scheduling priorities, a combined priority scheduling method is proposed for distributed machine learning based on Kubernetes and Volcano. Considering the user priority, task priority, longest wait time, task parallelism, and affinity and non-affinity between the parameter server and worker nodes, a combined priority scheduling model of inter- and intra-job priority is proposed, which is mapped into a scheduling strategy of inter- and intra-group priorities of pods, enabling the efficient scheduling and training of distributed machine learning. The experiment results show that the proposed method achieves preferential resource allocation for urgent, high parallelism, and high-priority jobs with high-priority users and improves the job execution efficiency. The affinity and anti-affinity settings among pods reduce the time of information interaction between the parameter server and worker nodes to a certain extent, thereby improving the job completion efficiency. This group scheduling strategy alleviates the problems of resource deadlock and waste caused by insufficient resources in cloud computing.
Dynamics properties for a viscoelastic Kirchhoff-type equation with nonlinear boundary damping and source terms
Authors: Saker Meriem , Boumaza Nouri , Gheraibia Billel
Published: May 2023

This work is devoted to studying a viscoelastic Kirchhoff-type equation with nonlinear boundary damping-source interactions in a bounded domain. Under suitable assumptions on the kernel function g, density function, and M, the global existence and general decay rate of solution are established. Moreover, we prove the finite time blow-up result of solution with negative initial energy.
Sentiment analysis of Indonesian datasets based on a hybrid deep-learning strategy
Authors: Lin Chih-Hsueh , Nuha Ulin
Published: May 2023

Various attempts have been conducted to improve the performance of text-based sentiment analysis. These significant attempts have focused on text representation and model classifiers. This paper introduced a hybrid model based on the text representation and the classifier models, to address sentiment classification with various topics. The combination of BERT and a distilled version of BERT (DistilBERT) was selected in the representative vectors of the input sentences, while the combination of long short-term memory and temporal convolutional networks was taken to enhance the proposed model in understanding the semantics and context of each word. The experiment results showed that the proposed model outperformed various counterpart schemes in considered metrics. The reliability of the proposed model was confirmed in a mixed dataset containing nine topics.
Ground motion hazard of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) routes in Pakistan
Authors: Rehman Qasim Ur , Waseem Muhammad , Ahmed Waqas , Islam Ihtisham , Janjuhah Hammad Tariq , Kontakiotis George
Published: May 2023

Pakistan has seen a burst of infrastructure development recently due to the increased connection between Asia and East Europe. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor is a project between China and Pakistan aimed to improve the regional infrastructure that would ultimately enhance the connection between Asia and Eastern Europe. However, the active tectonics of Pakistan could put this infrastructure at risk if it is not built to the highest hazard prevention standard. This study reports the ground motion hazard by using the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment approach and the areal seismic source model. The seismic hazard maps of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan are derived using the Cornell–McGuire (1968–1976) approach, which takes into account all earthquakes (25AD-2020) that occurred in Pakistan and nearby regions, the newest ground motion prediction equations, and an updated seismotectonic source model of Pakistan. The final ground motion intensities are attained as peak ground acceleration and 5% damped spectral acceleration at T = 0.2 s and 1.0 s for 475- and 2475-year return periods (estimated for bedrock site conditions). The results are displayed as color-coded maps that represent the amplitude deviation of ground motion. From the spatial evaluation of the maps, a peak ground acceleration value of 0.40–0.52 g for the 475-year return period and a spectral acceleration (0.2 s) value of 1.66–2.13 g for 2475-year return period are mostly observed on the northern and western routes. The central and eastern routes are mostly characterized by a peak ground acceleration value of 0.22–0.24 g for the 475-year return period and a spectral acceleration (0.2 s) value of 0.95–1.13 g due to diffused seismicity and lower number of faults in this region. The ground motion intensity values obtained in this study can be utilized for the seismic design of all kinds of infrastructure and bridges along the CPEC routes in accordance with the Building Code of Pakistan, the International Building codes, and the load and resistance factor design codes published by American Association of the State Highway and Transportation Officials.
Identifying and predicting the pathogenic effects of a novel variant inducing severe early onset MMA: a bioinformatics approach
Authors: Maryami Fereshteh , Rismani Elham , Davoudi-Dehaghani Elham , Khalesi Nasrin , Motlagh Fatemeh Zafarghandi , Kordafshari Alireza , Talebi Saeed , Rahimi Hamzeh , Zeinali Sirous
Published: May 2023

Background

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a rare metabolic disorder resulting from functional defects in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. Mutations in the MMAB gene are responsible for the cblB type of vitamin B12-responsive MMA.

Results

This study used Whole-exome sequencing (WES), Sanger sequencing, linkage analysis, and in-silico evaluation of the variants’ effect on protein structure and function to confirm their pathogenicity in a 2-day-old neonate presenting an early-onset metabolic crisis and death. WES revealed a homozygous missense variant on chromosome 12, the NM_052845.4 (MMAB):c.557G > A, p.Arg186Gln, in exon 7, a highly conserved and hot spot region for pathogenic variants. After being confirmed by Sanger sequencing, the wild-type and mutant proteins’ structure and function were modeled and examined using in-silico bioinformatics tools and compared to the variant NM_052845.4 (MMAB):c.556C > T, p.Arg186Trp, a known pathogenic variant at the same position. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis showed a significant reduction in the stability of variants and changes in protein–protein and ligand–protein interactions. Interestingly, the variant c.557G > A, p.Arg186Gln depicted more variations in the secondary structure and less binding to the ATP and B12 ligands compared to the c.556C > T, p.Arg186Trp, the known pathogenic variant.

Conclusion

This study succeeded in expanding the variant spectra of the MMAB, forasmuch as the variant c.557G > A, p.Arg186Gln is suggested as a pathogenic variant and the cause of severe MMA and neonatal death. These results benefit the prenatal diagnosis of MMA in the subsequent pregnancies and carrier screening of the family members. Furthermore, as an auxiliary technique, homology modeling and protein structure and function evaluations could provide geneticists with a more accurate interpretation of variants’ pathogenicity.

Graphical Abstract
Dropout prediction and decision feedback supported by multi temporal sequences of learning behavior in MOOCs
Authors: Xia Xiaona , Qi Wanxue
Published: May 2023

The temporal sequence of learning behavior is multidimensional and continuous in MOOCs. On the one hand, it supports personalized learning methods, achieves flexible time and space. On the other hand, it also makes MOOCs produce a large number of dropouts and incomplete learning behaviors. Dropout prediction and decision feedback have become an important issue of MOOCs. This study carries out sufficient method design and decision analysis on the dropout trend. Based on a large number of learning behavior instances, we construct a multi behavior type association framework, design dropout prediction model to analyze the temporal sequence of learning behavior, then discuss the corresponding intervention measures, in order to provide adaptive monitoring mechanism for long-term tracking and short-term learning method selection, and enable adaptive decision feedback. the full experiment shows that the designed model might improve the performance of the dropout prediction, which achieves the reliability and feasibility. The whole research can provide key technical solution and decision, which has important theoretical and practical value for dropout research of MOOCs.
What incentives encourage local communities to collect and upload mosquito sound data by using smartphones? A mixed methods study in Tanzania
Authors: Dam Rinita , Mponzi Winifrida , Msaky Dickson , Mwandyala Tumpe , Kaindoa Emmanuel W. , Sinka Marianne E. , Kiskin Ivan , Herreros-Moya Eva , Messina Janey , Shah Syed Ghulam Sarwar , Roberts Stephen , Willis Kathy J.
Published: May 2023

Background

To detect and identify mosquitoes using their characteristic high-pitched sound, we have developed a smartphone application, known as the ‘HumBug sensor’, that records the acoustic signature of this sound, along with the time and location. This data is then sent remotely to a server where algorithms identify the species according to their distinctive acoustic signature. Whilst this system works well, a key question that remains is what mechanisms will lead to effective uptake and use of this mosquito survey tool? We addressed this question by working with local communities in rural Tanzania and providing three alternative incentives: money only, short message service (SMS) reminders and money, and SMS reminders only. We also had a control group with no incentive.

Methods

A multi-site, quantitative empirical study was conducted in four villages in Tanzania from April to August 2021. Consenting participants (n = 148) were recruited and placed into one of the three intervention arms: monetary incentives only; SMS reminders with monetary incentives; and SMS reminders only. There was also a control group (no intervention). To test effectiveness of the mechanisms, the number of audio uploads to the server of the four trial groups on their specific dates were compared. Qualitative focus group discussions and feedback surveys were also conducted to explore participants’ perspectives on their participation in the study and to capture their experiences of using the HumBug sensor.

Results

Qualitative data analysis revealed that for many participants (37 out of 81), the main motivation expressed was to learn more about the types of mosquitoes present in their houses. Results from the quantitative empirical study indicate that the participants in the ‘control’ group switched on their HumBug sensors more over the 14-week period (8 out of 14 weeks) when compared to those belonging to the ‘SMS reminders and monetary incentives’ trial group. These findings are statistically significant (p < 0.05 or p > 0.95 under a two-sided z-test), revealing that the provision of monetary incentives and sending SMS reminders did not appear to encourage greater number of audio uploads when compared to the control.

Conclusions

Knowledge on the presence of harmful mosquitoes was the strongest motive for local communities to collect and upload mosquito sound data via the HumBug sensor in rural Tanzania. This finding suggests that most efforts should be made to improve flow of real-time information back to the communities on types and risks associated with mosquitoes present in their houses.
Neuromodulation for recovery of trunk and sitting functions following spinal cord injury: a comprehensive review of the literature
Authors: Tharu Niraj Singh , Wong Arnold Yu Lok , Zheng Yong-Ping
Published: May 2023

Trunk stability is crucial for people with trunk paralysis resulting from spinal cord injuries (SCI), as it plays a significant role in performing daily life activities and preventing from fall-related accidents. Traditional therapy used assistive methods or seating modifications to provide passive assistance while restricting their daily functionality. The recent emergence of neuromodulation techniques has been reported as an alternative therapy that could improve trunk and sitting functions following SCI. The aim of this review was to provide a broad perspective on the existing studies using neuromodulation techniques and identify their potentials in terms of trunk recovery for people with SCI. Five databases were searched (PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, Medline-Ovid, and Web of Science) from inception to December 31, 2022 to identify relevant studies. A total of 21 studies, involving 117 participants with SCI, were included in this review. According to these studies, neuromodulation significantly improved the reaching ability, restored trunk stability and seated posture, increased sitting balance, as well as elevated activity of trunk and back muscles, which were considered early predictors of trunk recovery after SCI. However, there is limited evidence regarding neuromodulation techniques on the improvement of trunk and sitting functions. Therefore, future large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate these preliminary findings.
Fetal Growth Trajectories and Measures of Insulin Resistance in Young Adults
Authors: Yadav Ashish , Beilin Lawrence J , Huang Rae-Chi , Newnham John P , White Scott W , Mori Trevor A
Published: May 2023

Context

Events during gestation greatly influence the risk of cardiometabolic diseases including diabetes in offspring during later life.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate relationships between serial ultrasound-derived fetal growth trajectories and markers of insulin resistance in young adults in the Raine Study, an Australian pregnancy cohort.

Methods

Linear mixed modeling examined the relationship between fetal growth trajectory groups, constructed using serial ultrasound-based abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL), and head circumference (HC) from 1333 mother-fetal pairs, and offspring Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), as a marker of diabetes risk, at 20 (n = 414), 22 (n = 385), and 27 (n = 431) years. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, adult lifestyle factors, and maternal factors during pregnancy.

Results

The study identified 7 AC, 5 FL, and 5 HC growth trajectory groups. Compared to the average-stable (reference) group, a low-falling AC growth trajectory (26%; P = .005) and 2 low HC growth trajectories (20%; P = .006% and 8%; P = .021) were associated with higher adult HOMA-IR. Trajectories representing a high-stable FL and a rising HC were associated with 12% (P = .002) and 9% (P = .021) lower adult HOMA-IR, respectively, compared to the reference group.

Conclusion

Restricted fetal HC and AC from early pregnancy are associated with higher relative insulin resistance in the offspring during adulthood. These data strengthen our understanding of the importance of the intrauterine environment and its effect on the risk of predisposition to adult diabetes and related metabolic disorders.
Birth Weight, Cardiometabolic Factors, and Coronary Heart Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Su Shuyao , Fan Jingwen , Yang Yongli , Yang Chaojun , Jia Xiaocan
Published: May 2023

Context

Observational studies have shown associations of birth weight (BW) with coronary heart disease (CHD), but results are inconsistent and do not distinguish the fetal or maternal effect of BW.

Objective

This study aims to explore the causal association between BW and CHD, analyze the fetal and maternal contribution, and quantify mediating effects of cardiometabolic factors.

Methods

Genetic variants from genome-wide association study summary-level data of own BW (N = 298 142), offspring BW (N = 210 267 mothers), and 16 cardiometabolic (anthropometric, glycemic, lipidemic, and blood pressure) factors were extracted as instrumental variables. We used two-sample Mendelian randomization study (MR) to estimate the causal effect of BW on CHD (60 801 cases and 123 504 controls from mixed ancestry) and explore the fetal and maternal contributions. Mediation analyses were conducted to analyze the potential mediating effects of 16 cardiometabolic factors using two-step MR.

Results

Inverse variance weighted analysis showed that lower BW raised the CHD risk (β −.30; 95% CI: −0.40, −0.20) and consistent results were observed in fetal-specific/maternal-specific BW. We identified 5 mediators in the causal pathway from BW to CHD, including body mass index–adjusted hip circumference, triglycerides, fasting insulin, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure (SBP), with mediated proportion ranging from 7.44% for triglycerides to 27.75% for SBP. Causality between fetal-specific and maternal-specific BW and CHD was mediated by glycemic factors and SBP, respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings supported that lower BW increased CHD risk and revealed that fetal-specific and maternal-specific BW may both contribute to this effect. The causality between BW and CHD was mediated by several cardiometabolic factors.
Hypothalamic PVN CRH Neurons Signal Through PVN GABA Neurons to Suppress GnRH Pulse Generator Frequency in Female Mice
Authors: McIntyre Caitlin , Li Xiao Feng , Ivanova Deyana , Wang Jun , O’Byrne Kevin T
Published: May 2023

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) are central to the stress response. Chemogenetic activation of PVN CRH neurons decreases LH pulse frequency but the mechanism is unknown. In the present study, optogenetic stimulation of PVN CRH neurons suppressed LH pulse frequency in estradiol-replaced ovariectomized CRH-cre mice, and this effect was augmented or attenuated by intra-PVN GABAA or GABAB receptor antagonism, respectively. PVN CRH neurons signal to local GABA neurons, which may provide a possible indirect mechanism by which PVN CRH neurons suppress LH pulse frequency. Optogenetic stimulation of potential PVN GABAergic projection terminals in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in ovariectomized estradiol-replaced Vgat-cre-tdTomato mice via an optic fiber implanted in the arcuate nucleus suppressed LH pulse frequency. To further determine whether PVN CRH neurons signal through PVN GABA neurons to suppress LH pulsatility, we combined recombinase mice with intersectional vectors to selectively target these neurons. CRH-cre::Vgat-FlpO mice expressing the stimulatory opsin ChRmine in non-GABAergic CRH neurons alone or in combination with the inhibitory opsin NpHR3.3 in non-CRH-expressing GABA neurons in the PVN were used. Optogenetic stimulation of non-GABAergic CRH neurons suppressed pulsatile LH secretion; however, LH pulse frequency was not affected when CRH neurons were stimulated and PVN GABA neurons were simultaneously inhibited. Together, these studies demonstrate that suppression of LH pulse frequency in response to PVN CRH neuronal activation is mediated by GABAergic signalling intrinsic to the PVN and may incorporate PVN GABAergic projection to the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator.
Φερμιονικές και μποζονικές συμμετρίες σε ατομικούς πυρήνες
Authors: Σαραντοπούλου Σμαράγδα
Published: May 2023

Η παρουσία συμμετριών στους ατομικούς πυρήνες έχει διαδραματίσει σημαντικό ρόλο στηνανάπτυξη της μελέτης της πυρηνικής δομής. Εφόσον οι πυρήνες αποτελούνται από νουκλεόνια,τα οποία είναι φερμιόνια, είναι αναμενόμενο οι φερμιονικές συμμετρίες να έχουν το προβάδισμα,ιδιαίτερα για την μελέτη πυρήνων μεσαίου και μεγάλου βάρους, όπου οι σχετικοί υπολογισμοίυπερβαίνουν κατά πολλές τάξεις μεγέθους τις υπάρχουσες υπολογιστικές δυνατότητες.Η παρούσα διατριβή επικεντρώνεται στη μελέτη της συμμετρίας proxy-SU(3), η οποίαεπιτρέπει τη χρήση της συμμετρίας SU(3) σε πυρήνες μεσαίου και μεγάλου βάρους. Τακυριότερα αποτελέσματα που θα μελετηθούν στην συνέχεια είναι τα εξής:α) Η συμμετρία proxy-SU3), χωρίς τη χρήση ελεύθερων παραμέτρων, απαντά το επίδεκαετίες αναπάντητο ερώτημα της επικράτησης των ωοειδών σχημάτων έναντι τωνπεπλατυσμένων στην θεμελιώδη κατάσταση των άρτιων-άρτιων πυρήνων και επιπλέονπροβλέπει αλλαγή φάσης/σχήματος από ωοειδές σε πεπλατυσμένο σε βαρείς πυρήνες τωνοποίων και τα πρωτόνια και τα νετρόνια πλησιάζουν την κορυφή του αντίστοιχου φλοιούσθένους. Το φαινόμενο αυτό εμφανίζεται και σε ατομικά συσσωματώματα αλκαλίων,δείχνοντας την καθολικότητα της χρησιμοποιούμενης μεθόδου. Από μαθηματικής πλευράς, τοκύριο αποτέλεσμα της παρούσας διατριβής είναι ότι η θεμελιώδης κατάσταση του ατομικούπυρήνα χαρακτηρίζεται από την μη αναγωγήσιμη αναπαράσταση της SU(3) που έχει τομέγιστο βάρος και όχι από την μη αναγωγήσιμη αναπαράσταση που έχει την μεγαλύτερηιδιοτιμή του δεύτερης τάξης τελεστή Casimir της SU(3), όπως ήταν γενικά παραδεκτό μέχριτώρα.β) Η συμμετρία proxy-SU(3) αποδίδει ορθά την συμπεριφορά των ενεργειών σύνδεσης καιτων ενεργειών διαχωρισμού δύο νετρονίων σε σειρές ισοτόπων πυρήνων μεσαίου και μεγάλουβάρους, δείχνοντας ότι τα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά της πυρηνικής αλληλεπίδρασης έχουνσυμπεριληφθεί επαρκώς στην εν λόγω θεωρία.γ) Η σύνδεση της συμμετρίας proxy-SU(3) με το πρότυπο φλοιών διαφωτίζει τηνμικροσκοπική δομή των ζευγών πρωτονίων-νετρονίων τα οποία οδηγούν στην ανάπτυξη τηςπυρηνικής παραμόρφωσης και ενοποιεί σχετικές επιμέρους παρατηρήσεις και θεωρητικέςπροτάσεις του παρελθόντος. Από μαθηματικής πλευράς, το κύριο αποτέλεσμα της παρούσαςδιατριβής είναι η απόδειξη της ύπαρξης ενός μοναδιακού μετασχηματισμού ο οποίος συνδέει ταπυρηνικά τροχιακά που αντικαθίστανται κατά την προσέγγιση proxy-SU(3) με τουςαντικαταστάτες τους, γεγονός το οποίο καταδεικνύει ότι η proxy-SU(3) δεν είναι ένααυθαίρετο κατασκεύασμα, αλλά το προϊόν ενός αυστηρά καθορισμένου μαθηματικούμετασχηματισμού.
Flotation combines for wastewater treatment with several working fluids
Authors: Ksenofontov Boris , Lukanin Aleksandr
Published: May 2023

In the monograph, for the first time in world practice, the issues of intensification of flotation processes of wastewater treatment and compaction of excess activated sludge due to the use of several working fluids are considered. It is noted that flotation equipment is mainly used for wastewater treatment of pressure type. Although the flotation process has been known for a long time, there are relatively few fundamentally new technical solutions in this area. In this regard, the author describes in detail the method of flotation developed by the author with two and three working fluids, of which one is a working fluid with hardly soluble gas (air), and the others with easily soluble gases, such as carbon dioxide and biogas. At the same time, the interpretation of the new effect is based on a multi-stage flotation model developed by the author. This method was developed, tested and used by the author for the first time in domestic practice at biotechnological enterprises. Methods and flotation installations in the form of water flow combines using two and three working fluids saturated with gases with different solubility in water are described.
It is offered for a wide range of readers, including researchers, bachelors, masters, postgraduates, as well as for anyone interested in water purification issues.
Exploring the Potential of Lactoferrin in Neonatology and Obstetrics - Promising Advancements for Maternal and Infant Health
Authors: Bialic Kinga , Bialic Artur , Bakalarczyk Rafał , Majewski Paweł , Bednarz Lucjan , Szala-Czerwonka Karolina , Woś Natalia , Rejmer Adrian , Rojek Katarzyna , Wijas Karolina
Published: May 2023

Introduction and purpose:

Lactoferrin (Lf), a glycoprotein found in body fluids, plays a key role in many of the biological mechanisms that occur in the human body. Over the years, more and more studies have contributed to the expansion of the clinical applications of lactoferrin. In this article, we want to focus on using lactoferrin in Neonatology and Obstetrics. The applications of lactoferrin in obstetrics continue to expand, some of which include the prevention of preterm delivery (PTD) and anaemia in pregnant women. Lf also helps to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis in newborns by mobilising the immune system and participating in the defence against pathogens and has been under investigation as a potential therapeutic agent for genital infections. The aim of this review is to summarise the current state of knowledge, regarding lactoferrin's broad spectrum of action and to highlight its potential therapeutic applications in these contexts.

 

State of knowledge:

This article aims to review the current knowledge on the properties of the lactoferrin and its applications in medicine, especially neonatology and obstetrics. Studies available in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases were included in the analysis.

 

Conclusion:

While lactoferrin shows promise in improving neonatal and maternal health, additional research is required to fully understand its precise mechanisms of action and optimise its use as a therapeutic agent. There is also a need for further studies to assess the safety and efficacy of lactoferrin in a variety of patient populations. Despite the challenges, lactoferrin continues to be an intriguing subject of scientific research, with potential therapeutic benefits in various medical fields.
Folic acid - influence on male fertility, spermatogenesis, sperm DNA fragmentation and subsequent growth of the embryo and fetus
Authors: Truchta Monika , Augustynowicz Kinga , Marcinkowska Marta , Stoliński Michał , Świąder Kinga
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Men's infertility is a multifactorial disorder. According to scientific literature, among men with reduced fertility, growing interest in folic acid is observed.
This review describes the effect of folic acid on spermatogenesis, sperm concentration, sperm DNA fragmentation and the growth of the embryo and fetus.
Material and methods: The work was based on the articles published in PubMed, medical books and websites.
Results: Folic acid affects the trajectory of embryo growth in pregnancy conceived spontaneously, there is a negative correlation between the concentration of folic acid in the semen and the indicator of sperm DNA fragmentation and sperm concentration are statistically higher in folic acid supplements.
Conclusions: The results suggest that the father's exposure to folic acid before conception may affect the health of his offspring, and therefore care before conception should be changed from an approach focused on a woman to a couple-based approach.
Ochrona praw podstawowych w przypadku stosowania sztucznej inteligencji przez administrację publiczną w Unii Europejskiej
Authors: Kozłowski Jakub
Published: May 2023

The aim of the study is to present the issues related to the specific form of e- administration, which is the use of artificial intelligence by public authorities, looking through the prism of protection of fundamental rights. The basis for the analysis carried out in this area is the presentation of the differences between the conventionally understood digitization and the use of systems based on artificial intelligence. An important point is to consider the opportunities and challenges related to the use of artificial intelligence by e-government, combining them with the evaluation of potential threats to fundamental rights. This leads to an evaluation of the proposal for the Regulation on Artificial Intelligence Acts, in the context of guarantees to protect fundamental rights from previously identified risks, as well as the human-centric approach adopted by the Commission.
Los criterios ASG en las sociedades comerciales colombianas: ¿brújula moral o legal?
Authors: Lorenzoni Escobar Lina , Martínez Herrera Julián
Published: May 2023

El presente artículo argumenta la existencia de un de minimis de obligatorio cumplimiento en lo que respecta la gestión de variables ambientales sociales y de gobierno corporativo (criterios ASG) por parte de las empresas comerciales en Colombia. Se presenta una lectura de la función social y ecológica de la propiedad en el marco del desarrollo sostenible consagrado en Río de Janeiro como compromiso internacional del estado, que le impone a las empresas un deber de cooperación y tareas diferenciadas respecto de su implementación. Lo anterior, se desprende del análisis de fuentes normativas, internacionales y nacionales, así como jurisprudencia constitucional colombiana, que permite concluir que el interés social de la empresa incluye variables ASG hechas vinculantes por el desarrollo sostenible.
Murciélagos viajeros: el misterio de las migraciones nocturnas
Authors: Gutiérrez-Granados Gabriel
Published: May 2023

Las migraciones de animales son movimientos que realizan parte de una población hacia áreas con condiciones que favorecen su supervivencia y/o ayudan a completar parte de su ciclo de vida.
El mono, la mosca y los ecosistemas
Authors: Ortíz Záracte Ricardo Jesús , Dias Pedro A. D. Dias
Published: May 2023

Seguramente en algún momento de nuestras vidas hemos estado en contacto con un parásito, lo hayamos notado o no. ¿Acaso no sería mejor que desaparecieran para evitar el malestar que nos causan? Esta idea puede sonar atractiva pero los parásitos tienen roles cruciales en la naturaleza.
Classification of Tomato Leaf Disease Using a Custom Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Kokate Jayesh K. , Kumar Sunil , G. Kulkarni Anant
Published: May 2023

A plant's genetic potential for crop production can only be realised if the plant is healthy. Infected plants produce less than their genetic potential when they are unhealthy and exposed to infection-causing agents of any kind.
A disease can have an impact on a plant's metabolism. Manual checking
of plant health is not feasible for anytime. Accurately identifying the disease as soon as it first manifests on the plant is crucial for controlling it in farms. Thus, taking the proper action to stop further crop and yield damage will depend heavily on an automated method of disease identification and precise disease relegation. This paper presents a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for diagnosing tomato leaf diseases. The findings are presented with an emphasis on accuracy as well as loss. About, 14240 numbers of tomato leaf image data representing nine distinct disease classes were utilized to train the model. On average, this classification was found to be 95.53 percent accurate.
Efficacy of Dried Indian Gooseberry Kombucha on a Pre–industrial Scale: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity
Authors:   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Klawpiyapamornkun Tharinee , Kaewkod Thida ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Uttarotai Toungporn ,   Department of Highland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture,Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Wangkarn Sunanta ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Sirisa-ard Panee ,   Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Kiatkarun Suwalee ,   Tea Gallery Group (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand, Tragoolpua Yingmanee ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand,   Research Center in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry, and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand, Bovonsombut Sakunnee ,   Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Published: May 2023

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage that has gained popularity in recent years due to its potential health benefi ts. In this study, dried Indian gooseberry kombucha (DIGK) was produce on a pre-industrial-scale for 20 days and compare with traditional kombucha (TK) made from green tea. Both products were produced as concentrated kombucha and investigated for their total phenolic content (TPC), total fl avonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity, organic acids, and antimicrobial activity. The results revealed that DIGK had signifi cantly higher total phenolic compounds (with 5.97 ± 0.21 mg GAE/ml), fl avonoids (with 4.65 ± 0.20 mg QE/ml), and antioxidant activity (11.3-13.5 times) than traditional kombucha TK. The glucuronic, ascorbic and acetic acid of DIGK was higher than TK, while gluconic and D-saccharic acid-1,4-lactone (DSL) were lower than TK. The chemical properties in kombucha increased after the production of concentrated kombucha. The order of increasing values for TPC and antioxidant activity was as follows: concentrated DIGK > DIGK > concentrated TK > TK. Additionally, the determined TFC values showed that the order of increasing values was concentrated DIGK > concentrated TK > DIGK > TK. The concentrated kombucha showed higher antimicrobial activity against pathogenic enteric bacteria than the non-concentrated kombucha, with DIGK had higher activity than TK.