bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Healthy, Low-Carbohydrate Diet During Pregnancy Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Chen Xi , Zhang Yuhao , Lin Lixia , Huang Li , Zhong Chunrong , Li Qian , Tan Tianqi , Wang Weiming , Zhang Huaqi , Liu Jin , Sun Guoqiang , Yi Nianhua , Yang Xuefeng , Hao Liping , Yang Hongying , Yang Nianhong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Context
Evidence on the associations of low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) during pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been limited and inconsistent.

Objective
We aimed to prospectively evaluate the risk of GDM associated with the LCD considering the quality of macronutrients.

Methods
All participants were from a prospective cohort in Wuhan, China. The overall, healthy LCD (emphasizing low-quality carbohydrates, plant protein, and unsaturated fat), and unhealthy LCD (emphasizing high-quality carbohydrates, animal protein, and saturated fat) scores were calculated according to the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates, protein, and fat. GDM was screened by a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test between 24 and 28 weeks. Poisson regression models were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs.

Results
Of 2337 pregnant women, 257 (11.0%) were diagnosed with GDM. Overall LCD score was not associated with risk of GDM, but the healthy and unhealthy LCD scores were associated with the risk of GDM. The multivariable-adjusted RRs (95% CI) were 0.68 (0.49-0.94) and 1.52 (1.11-2.08) for healthy and unhealthy LCD scores comparing the highest with the lowest quartile. Substituting high-quality carbohydrates for low-quality carbohydrates and animal protein, and substituting unsaturated fat for saturated fat, were associated with a 13% to 29% lower risk of GDM.

Conclusion
A healthy LCD during pregnancy characterized by high-quality carbohydrates, plant protein, and unsaturated fat was associated with a lower risk of GDM, whereas an unhealthy LCD consisting of low-quality carbohydrates, animal protein, and saturated fat was associated with a higher risk of GDM.
Sex-Specific Perturbation of Systemic Lipidomic Profile in Newborn Lambs Impacted by Prenatal Testosterone Excess
Authors: Saadat Nadia , Ciarelli Joseph , Pallas Brooke , Padmanabhan Vasantha , Vyas Arpita Kalla 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Gestational hyperandrogenism adversely impacts offspring health. Using an ovine model, we found that prenatal testosterone (T) excess adversely affects growth and cardiometabolic outcomes in female offspring and produces sex-specific effects on fetal myocardium. Since lipids are essential to cardiometabolic function, we hypothesized that prenatal T excess leads to sex-specific disruptions in lipid metabolism at birth. Shotgun lipidomics was performed on the plasma samples collected 48 hours after birth from female (F) and male (M) lambs of control (C) and (T) sheep (CF = 4, TF = 7, CM = 5, TM = 10) and data were analyzed by univariate analysis, multivariate dimensionality reduction modeling followed by functional enrichment, and pathway analyses. Biosynthesis of phosphatidylserine was the major pathway responsible for sex differences in controls. Unsupervised and supervised models showed separation between C and T in both sexes with glycerophospholipids and glycerolipids classes being responsible for the sex differences between C and T. T excess increased cholesterol in females while decreasing phosphatidylcholine levels in male lambs. Specifically, T excess: 1) suppressed the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) phosphatidylcholine synthesis pathway overall and in TM lambs as opposed to suppression of carnitine levels overall and TF lambs; and 2) activated biosynthesis of ether-linked (O-)phosphatidylethanolamine and O-phosphatidylcholine from O-diacylglycerol overall and in TF lambs. Higher cholesterol levels could underlie adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in TF lambs, whereas suppressed PEMT pathway in TM lambs could lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress and defective lipid transport. These novel findings point to sex-specific effects of prenatal T excess on lipid metabolism in newborn lambs, a precocial ovine model of translational relevance.
A Case of Ovarian Hyperthecosis in a Postmenopausal Woman
Authors: Yousaf Saira , Nizar Ryizan , John Lawrence , Simpson Aaron 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
We report a case of a 55-year-old postmenopausal woman who presented with symptoms of fatigue, male pattern hair loss, and hirsutism over 3 years. Investigations showed elevated total testosterone levels of 5.0 nmol/L (1.44 ng/mL; range, 0.3-3.1 nmol/L) using Beckman-Unicel-DXI-800 immunoassay. Testosterone levels were repeated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and were found to be elevated at 7.3 nmol/L (2.10 ng/mL). Estradiol was detectable and free androgen index was elevated. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels and androstenedione were within normal range, suggesting a nonadrenal source. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed no evidence of adrenal or adnexal tumor. GnRH analog stimulation test led to reduction of gonadotrophins and normalization of testosterone within 4 weeks. She had a biopsy of a cranial hair follicle, which showed androgenic alopecia. These investigations confirmed an ovarian source of androgens. Subsequently, she underwent bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Histological study of gonadal tissue confirmed the diagnosis of ovarian hyperthecosis. Four weeks after oophorectomy, her testosterone levels normalized and clinical symptoms improved. Ovarian hyperthecosis is a rare cause of hyperandrogenism in postmenopausal women and can pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Careful history and physical examination along with critical analysis of biochemistry and imaging studies is crucial for correct diagnosis.
Modulation of tooth regeneration through opposing responses to Wnt and BMP signals in teleosts
Authors: Square Tyler A. , Mackey Emma J. , Sundaram Shivani , Weksler Naama C. , Chen Zoe Z. , Narayanan Sujanya N. , Miller Craig T. 
Published: December 2023

ABSTRACT
Most vertebrate species undergo tooth replacement throughout adult life. This process is marked by the shedding of existing teeth and the regeneration of tooth organs. However, little is known about the genetic circuitry regulating tooth replacement. Here, we tested whether fish orthologs of genes known to regulate mammalian hair regeneration have effects on tooth replacement. Using two fish species that demonstrate distinct modes of tooth regeneration, threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio), we found that transgenic overexpression of four different genes changed tooth replacement rates in the direction predicted by a hair regeneration model: Wnt10a and Grem2a increased tooth replacement rate, whereas Bmp6 and Dkk2 strongly inhibited tooth formation. Thus, similar to known roles in hair regeneration, Wnt and BMP signals promote and inhibit regeneration, respectively. Regulation of total tooth number was separable from regulation of replacement rates. RNA sequencing of stickleback dental tissue showed that Bmp6 overexpression resulted in an upregulation of Wnt inhibitors. Together, these data support a model in which different epithelial organs, such as teeth and hair, share genetic circuitry driving organ regeneration.
Presença de desertos alimentares em um distrito sanitário de uma capital brasileira: um estudo descritivo e exploratório sobre a distribuição espacial de estabelecimentos comerciais de alimentos
Authors: Pazzinato Kelly da Silva , Corrêa Elizabeth Nappi , Bricarello Liliana Paula , De Souza Lidiamara Dornelles , Vaz Sara Cavalcanti Mendes , Da Silva Maria Beatriz Carolina , De Vasconcelos Francisco de Assis Guedes 
Published: December 2023

Introdução: O ambiente alimentar que a comunidade está inserida pode influenciar, positiva ou negativamente no acesso à alimentação de qualidade e consequentemente na sua saúde. Objetivo: Identificar a presença de desertos alimentares em um distrito sanitário de uma capital brasileira. Métodos: Estudo descritivo, transversal e exploratório, utilizando dados secundários de diferentes fontes institucionais para mapear a distribuição espacial de estabelecimentos de comercialização de alimentos: restaurantes, padarias, supermercados, minimercados/mercearias, hortifrutigranjeiros, vendedores ambulantes e lanchonetes/fastfood. Os estabelecimentos foram agrupados nas categorias in natura, ultraprocessados e mistos, de acordo com a predominância do tipo de alimentos comercializados. Para a análise, a densidade de estabelecimentos in natura juntamente com os mistos por mil habitantes (usuários cadastrados nos centros de saúde) foram calculadas. Resultados: Foram investigados 111 estabelecimentos, sendo 20% que comercializavam alimentos in natura (saudáveis), 27% alimentos ultraprocessados (não saudáveis) e 53% considerados mistos. Conclusões: Foram observadas áreas que podem ser consideradas desertos alimentares, locais onde há pouca (ou ausência) de oferta de alimentos in natura, e por consequência dificultando o acesso a alimentos saudáveis.
Natural polymer fillers instead of dye and pigments: Pumice and scoria in PDMS fluid and elastomer composites
Authors: Özvezir Esra , Beyli Pınar Turan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
The electrical and thermal conductivities and light transmittance properties of silicone oil and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer composites were investigated. Pumice, scoria, nano-Ag, and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) particles were used as fillers. An effective, clean, and easy method was used to prepare nanosized particles from pumice and scoria rocks. Only MWCNT–PDMS composites showed electrical conductivity. The highest electrical conductivity of 24.7 S·m−1 was obtained with the 25% pumice–10% MWCNT–silicone oil composite. All filler particles increased the thermal conductivity of the PDMS elastomer. MWCNTs were more effective than pumice and scoria, and the thermal conductivity reached 0.62 W·(m·K)−1 with an addition of 3 wt% MWCNTs. All filler particles decreased the transparency of the PDMS elastomer. The sample with 5 wt% pumice particles reached zero transmittance. Pumice and scoria naturally colored the PDMS elastomer. The powders of these natural volcanic rocks could be used as a suitable coloring filling material instead of dyes and pigments for polymers without waste. However, it was concluded that pumice and scoria particles are not suitable for making composites with silicone oil due to the possibility of catalyzing the degradation of linear PDSM.
Effect of dolutegravir-based drug combinations on the level of medication adherence and viral load among adolescents living with HIV in resource-limited setting: a pre-post design
Authors: Ezenwosu Ifeyinwa L. , Onu Justus U. , Chukwuma Uchenna V. , Onwuka-Kalu Chima , Omotola Olusegun F. , Ezenwosu Osita U. , Chukwuka Chinwe J. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Objectives
The use of antiretroviral drugs among HIV-infected adolescents has been challenged with poor medication adherence, leading to an unsuppressed viral load and ultimately to drug resistance. Recently, dolutegravir has been approved for use in adolescents with HIV, but the evidence on medication adherence and viral load suppression is limited. The study determined the effect of dolutegravir-based drug regimens on the level of medication adherence and viral load among treatment-experienced adolescents.

Methods
A longitudinal pre-post design study was done among adolescents living with HIV at a paediatrics clinic in Nigeria. Assessment of medication adherence and viral load testing was done before and at six months of transitioning to dolutegravir-based regimens. McNemar-chi-square was used to determine the effectiveness of the drug on adherence and viral load suppression. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the predictors of drug adherence and viral suppression.

Results
The mean age of the participants was 14.7 years (SD=3.2), and 53.3 % were males. The mean duration of ART use was 10.3 years (SD=3.2). Six months after transitioning to dolutegravir, there was a significant decrease in viral load (Z=−7.947, p<0.001) and an increase in medication adherence score (Z=−7.554, p<0.001), among the treatment-experienced adolescents. Viral suppression was 13 times higher among respondents with good medication adherence as compared to those with poor medication adherence (AOR=13.24, CI=3.25–53.90).

Conclusions
Dolutegravir is effective in improving medication adherence and viral suppression among Adolescents living with HIV. Thus, the need to transition eligible adolescents to dolutegravir to sustain better treatment outcomes.
Methyl-orange/reduced graphene oxide composite as the electrode material for the solid-state supercapacitor
Authors: Singh Karsimran , Kaur Amarjeet 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Herein, we have introduced the electrode material made up of a composite of an electrochemical active organic molecule (i.e. methyl orange (MO)) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite. This composite is found to be a potential material for supercapacitor application due to the sustainability, redox reversibility of organic molecules, and good conductivity of rGO. For fabricating symmetric solid-state cell (MO/rGO//PVA/H2SO4//MO/rGO), polyvinyl alcohol–sulphuric acid (PVA/H2SO4) aqueous gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) has been sandwiched between the two MO/rGO electrodes. It was found that a MO/rGO based symmetric cell interfaced with a PVA/H2SO4 gel electrolyte has a specific capacitance of 166.79 F g−1 and an energy density of 11.58 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 6.25 kW kg−1. Here, good specific capacitance is the result of a combination of both electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) and pseudo-capacitive behaviour observed in a fabricated cell. The specific capacitance is stable after 2500 cycles of charge and discharge, with an initial fade of 32 %. This synthesized material and fabricated device found its potential to be used for the supercapacitor application.
Efficiency and environmental stability of TiO2 based solar cells for green electricity production
Authors: Singh Mahendra , Singh Deepak , Mishra Vinay , Singh Vijay , Singh Sunita , Dev Rahul , Singh Dhananjay 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Environmental sustainability and energy security are two major issues, which are globally attracting the attention of the scientists and researchers. The sustainable development goal (SDG-7) calls for sustainable and modern energy for all. Solar energy has great potential and it can be transformed in other usable forms through various energy harvesting technologies. The photovoltaic cell utilizes solar radiation to generate green electricity. Photovoltaic cells follow the mechanism of photon to electron conversion for electricity production. Recently, organic solar cell, which is a type of photovoltaic cells, has shown potential to overcome demerits faced by photovoltaic cell like low flexibility, weight and environmental biodegradability issues. Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a kind of the organic solar cell. A (DSSC) has been fabricated using Punica Granatum (pomegranate juice) as sensitizer. The maximum efficiency of the solar cell is observed to be 0.16 %. The effect of various climatic parameters the performance of fabricated dye sensitized solar cell has also been evaluated and reported.
Promoting young EFL learners’ oral production through storytelling: coursebook adaptation in the Vietnamese classroom
Authors: Macalister John , Phuong Thao Le Hong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
A global push to start learning English early has heightened interest in effective pedagogical practices for young learners. In many parts of the world, however, teachers feel constrained by the educational system in which they work. Coursebooks are mandated, tests and examinations dominate, and teacher education may not consider the particularities of teaching young learners. Such factors have all been identified in Vietnam, where this study was conducted. A storytelling innovation based on coursebook texts was introduced and taught for one school term. Pre- and post-tests of speaking found that learners who experienced the storytelling innovation significantly outperformed the learners who followed the textbook when measured by English tokens, English types, idea units in English, and idea units in English and Vietnamese. The study demonstrates how a relatively modest course book adaptation can lead to improved learning outcomes in an EFL context where change is often considered difficult to achieve.
The association between socioeconomic status and Chinese secondary students’ English achievement: mediation of self-efficacy and moderation of gender
Authors: Ma Lihong , Jiao Yuhong , Xiao Leifeng , Liu Jian 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This research explored the mediation of self-efficacy and moderation of gender between socioeconomic status (SES) and foreign language (FL) achievement. A total of 8,906 Chinese secondary students (50.7 % males) completed socioeconomic status (SES) questionnaire, English self-efficacy scale, English achievement test, and demographic questionnaire. Multilevel regression model showed that SES was positively associated with English achievement both at student and school levels. The multilevel mediation model demonstrated that English self-efficacy partially mediated the link between SES and English achievement only at student level, and the mediation effect accounted for 30 % of the total effect. Moreover, the link between SES and English achievement was moderately influenced by gender. Specifically, boys’ English achievement was more significantly impacted by SES compared to that of girls. These findings underscore a gender disparity in the impact of SES on FL achievement, advocating for targeted interventions specifically aimed at students from low-SES backgrounds, particularly males.
Investment, Subsidies, and Universal Service: Broadband Internet in the United States
Authors: Wilson Kyle 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Access to the internet is critical for participating in modern society, and yet many Americans lack access to high-speed internet. A key objective of U.S. telecommunications policy is to promote policies that advance the availability of quality telecommunications services, with the goal of universal service. I develop a dynamic model of internet service providers’ entry, exit, and upgrade decisions. Estimating this model reveals the determinants of profits and variation in firms’ costs. I then use this information to simulate a variety of subsidy policies, and explore how the use of targeted subsidies can improve high-speed internet access.
National discourses in (de)legitimations of the Swedish COVID-19 strategy
Authors: Idevall Hagren Karin , Bellander Theres 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden’s way to handle the crisis was referred to as ‘the Swedish strategy’ and regarded as unconventional. Most studies of the Swedish strategy have focused on politicians’ legitimations, but not on the discursive negotiation in a media context. The objectives of this critical discourse study are to examine how the Swedish strategy was (de)legitimised in Sweden’s largest newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, during 2020, and what role national discourses played for discursive framings of the Swedish strategy. Using legitimation analysis combined with affect as a discourse analytical concept, we examine 71 newspaper articles. The findings show how a nationalistic framing highlights trust and responsibility as key aspects of the strategy, but also how trust and responsibility are used in delegitimations with additional frames, such as consequences for individuals’ everyday lives, or the frame of an international scientific community. The findings shed new light on the role of national discourses in the initial internal debates about Swedish COVID-19 management, and on the usefulness of an analytical approach that considers an elaborated analysis of different delegitimation strategies and the importance of affect for discourses and (de)legitimations.
Role of sodium alginate on the modification of the interfacial, micellization and thermodynamic properties of two imidazolium-based surface active ionic liquids in water
Authors: Banerjee Arnab , Das Bijan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
A combined theoretical and experimental approach has been used to study the influence of a biopolymer sodium alginate (NaAlg) on the aggregation, interfacial, and thermodynamic phenomena of two surface active ionic liquids (SAILs), 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (DMeImCl), and 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (HDMeImCl) with a view to explore the effects of the tail lengths of the SAILs and the temperature. Density Functional Theory (DFT) in conjunction with conductometry, tensiometry, and vapor pressure osmometry has been employed. DFT studies indicate that the geometries of the SAIL–NaAlg coordinated structures become more stabilized compared to the geometries of NaAlg, DMeImCl and HDMeImCl themselves, and that an increase in the alkyl chain length of the SAILs results in a lowering in the optimization energy for SAIL–NaAlg coordinated structures. Surface activity of the SAILs in presence of NaAlg has been found to be improved as the tail length of the SAILs increases. Evaluation of the Gibbs minimum free energy demonstrates a poorer thermodynamic stability of the interfacial growth of the SAIL molecules as the temperature is elevated. SAIL monolayer has been found to become more compact for the HDMeImCl–NaAlg system compared to the DMeImCl–NaAlg system arising from improved van der Waals attraction among the hydrophobic tails. The pC
20 values also indicate more interfacial adsorption in the HDMeImCl system within the investigated temperature range. Two characteristic concentrations, e.g., the critical aggregation concentration (cac) and polymer saturation concentration (psc), prior to the appearance of free SAIL micelles above the critical micellar concentration (cmc) in each of the SAIL–NaAlg solutions have been identified. Micellization of both the SAILs has been found to be thermodynamically spontaneous in presence of NaAlg. As the temperature increases or the surfactant tail gets longer, micellization becomes more spontaneous. The geometrical shapes of both DMeImCl and HDMeImCl micelles in presence of the NaAlg have been predicted to be spherical irrespective of the experimental temperatures. The results have been discussed to elucidate the SAIL–NaAlg interactions considering diverse forces prevailing in these mixed systems.
Poesía y traducción testimonial: Claribel Alegría y Carolyn Forché
Authors: Raggio Marcela María 
Published: December 2023

American poet Carolyn Forché is also a human rights activist and a poetic translator. This article defines her poetics of translation as expressed in the Introduction to her anthology Against Forgetting. Twentieth-Century Poetry of Witness (1993), and her translation of Claribel Alegría’s Flowers from the Volcano (1982). The article presents the term “translation of witness” which has a social-political objective in Central America beyond literary transmission in the target language. The theoretical framework is based on Antoine Berman and Lawrence Venuti.