bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dietary practice and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients on follow-up in shashemene referral hospital, west Arsi zone, Oromia, Ethiopia ,2020
Authors: lemma Kelemua , kumsa kebede 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Diabetes' diet is a naturally nutrient-rich, fat-free and calorie-free diet. Dietary factors play a critical role in the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes due to their impact on weight and metabolic control.
Objective
The goal of this study was to evaluate dietary practices and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients on follow-up at Shashemene referral hospital in West Arsi zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, in 2020.
Methods
In April 2020, a hospital-based cross-sectional study of type II diabetic patients on follow-up was conducted at Shashemene referral hospital. A sample size of 389 was used based on the prevalence of dietary practice among type II diabetic patients. Pre-test, structured face-to-face interview questionnaires were used to collect data from systematically selected samples of type II diabetic patients. Data was entered into a computer using the statistical analysis software SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive analysis was used to present the findings. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to further analyze the data. The odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval.
Result
A total of 389 patients with type II diabetes were included in the study whose mean age and standard deviation (SD) was 42 ± 12.2 SD. The study revealed that 39.3% of the patients had good dietary practice. Factors significantly associated with dietary practice were patient religion (AOR = 10.32 ,95% CI (1.25,85.2), having family support, (AOR = 4.10 95% CI (2.05,8.18) awareness level about diet (AOR = 3.8, 95% CI (0.34,5.94) and high cost of food (AOR = 2.06 95% CI (1.08,3.89) were found independent predictors for good dietary practice.
Conclusion & Recommendations:
The dietary practices of diabetic patients are not enough and they need to be improved. Training and advice on components of the proposed nutritional diabetes must be provided. The quality and scope of health education at the hospital level can be improved and the lifestyle changed. This level of self-care should be achieved through collaboration between patients and health care providers.
Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subpopulations as Predictive Biomarkers for First-line PD-1 Inhibitors Efficacy in ESCC
Authors: Sun Jiukang , Gan Wenyuan , Yao Jialin , Han Zhihang , Fang Zhang , Xiong Weili , Li Dongqing , Wu Jianhui , Cao Lei , Zhu Lingjun 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose：This study aimed to analyze the correlation between peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and the efficacy of ICIs treatment in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.
Methods：We conducted a retrospective analysis of medical records from ESCC patients diagnosed between January 2020 and October 2023 at Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital. The median was used as the cut-off value for the lymphocyte subpopulation. All variables were included in univariate Cox regression analysis, and only those reaching a significance level of P < 0.05 were incorporated into multivariate Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier curves were applied to assess PFS.
Results：Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that peripheral blood CD16+CD56+ lymphocytes (HR 0.359, 95% CI 0.174-0.739; p=0.005) and the presence of visceral metastasis (HR 3.056, 95% CI 1.334-7.005; p=0.008) are independent predictive factors for esophageal cancer patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with higher CD16+CD56+ lymphocyte levels (CD16+CD56+-high versus CD16+CD56+-low, 18.9 versus 10.3 months, P=0.024) and those with a higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio (CD4+/CD8+-high versus CD4+/CD8+-low, 15.8 versus 9.6 months, P=0.038) had longer progression-free survival (PFS). Conversely, patients with a history of prior chemotherapy (Yes versus No, 5.8 versus 12.7, p=0.013), a history of prior surgery (Yes versus No, 5.5 versus 12.7, p=0.04), and those with visceral metastasis (Yes versus No, 5.8 versus 12.7, p=0.013) had shorter PFS.
Conclusion：Our study suggests that baseline peripheral blood CD16+CD56+ lymphocytes and visceral metastasis are independent predictive biomarkers for first-line PD-1 inhibitors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.
Association between environmental gradient of anthropization and phenotypic plasticity in two species of triatomines
Authors: Fiad Federico G , Cardozo Miriam , Nattero Julieta , Gigena Gisel V. , Gorla David E. , Rodríguez Claudia S. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Triatoma garciabesi and T. guasayana are considered secondary vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi and frequently invade rural houses in central Argentina. Wing and head structures determine the ability of triatomines to disperse. Environmental changes exert selective pressures on populations of both species, promoting changes in these structures that could have consequences for flight dispersal. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between a gradient of anthropization and phenotypic plasticity in flight-related traits.
Methods
The research was carried out in Cruz del Eje and Ischilín departments (Córdoba, Argentina), and included 423 individuals of the two species of triatomines. To measure the degree of anthropization, a thematic map was constructed using supervised classification, from which seven landscapes were selected and nine landscape metrics were extracted and used in a hierarchical analysis. In order to determine the flight capacity and the invasion of dwellings at different levels of anthropization for both species, entomological indices were calculated for each species. Digital images of the body, head and wings were used to measure linear and geometric morphometric variables related to flight dispersion. One-way ANOVA and canonical variate analysis (CVA) were used to analyze differences in size and shape between levels of anthropization. Procrustes variance of shape was calculated to analyze differences in phenotypic variation in heads and wings.
Results
Hierarchical analysis was used to classify the landscapes into three levels of anthropization: high, intermediate and low. The dispersal index for both species yielded similar results across the anthropization gradient. However, in less anthropized landscapes, the density index was higher for T. garciabesi. Additionally, in highly anthropized landscapes, females and males of both species exhibited reduced numbers. Regarding phenotypic changes, the size of body, head and wings of T. garciabesi captured in the most anthropized landscapes was greater than those captured in less anthropized landscapes. There were no differences in body size observed in T. guasayana collected in the different landscapes. However, males from highly anthropized landscapes had smaller heads and wings than those captured in less anthropized landscapes. Both wing and head shape varied between less and more anthropogenic environments in both species.
Conclusions
Results of the study indicate that the flight-dispersal characteristics of T. garciabesi and T. guasayana changed in response to varying degrees of anthropization.
Development of an optimised method for the analysis of human blood plasma samples by atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry
Authors: Eardley-Brunt Annabel S. J. , Jones Anna , Mills Thomas , Kotronias Rafail , Lapolla Pierfrancesco , Study The Oxford Acute Myocardial Infarction (OxAMI) , Study The Oxford Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (OxAAA) , Handa Ashok , Lee Regent , Channon Keith , de Maria Giovanni Luigi , Vallance Claire 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Introduction:
Analysis of small-molecule metabolites in plasma has the potential for development as a clinical diagnostic and prognostic tool. Atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS) is capable of providing rapid metabolite and small molecule fingerprinting and has the potential for use in a cinical setting. Such an approach could provide clinicians with a rapid patient risk metric, predicting disease progression and response to treatment, and thereby aiding in treatment decisions.
Objectives:
To develop a robust experimental protocol for performing ASAP-MS measurements on plasma samples.
Methods:
We performed ASAP-MS measurements on plasma samples from patients recruited for two prospective clinical studies: the Oxford Acute Myocardial Infarction (OxAMI) study; and the Oxford Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (OxAAA) study. Over the course of a carefully designed series of measurements, we optimised the method of sample introduction, together with a number of key instrument and data acquisition parameters.
Results:
Following the optimisation process, we are consistently able to record high quality mass spectra for plasma samples. Typical coefficients of variation for individual mass peaks are in the range from 20-50%, in line with those obtained by other researchersresearchers [1, 2] using more sophisticated LC-MS approaches.
Conclusions:
We have developed a measurement protocol for ASAP-MS measurements on plasma samples which optimises mass spectral quality and reproducibility, while still retaining the simplicity of measurement required for use in a clinical setting. While tested on samples from two specific cohorts of patients, the protocol can be employed in measurements on any blood plasma samples.
A qualitative exploration of moderating factors shaping implementation fidelity to post-abortion care guidelines in a rural district of Zambia
Authors: Mubanga Chikwanka , Silumbwe Adam , Munakampe Margarate Nzala , Lubeya Mwansa Ketty , Zulu Joseph Mumba 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background The Zambian government introduced the standards and guidelines for comprehensive abortion care in 2017, to address the high number of maternal deaths resulting from unsafe abortions among women and girls. However, there is little information regarding how the guidelines on post abortion care (PAC) are being adhered to by providers in some rural settings. This study explored the moderating factors shaping implementation fidelity to post-abortion care guidelines in rural health facilities of Chibombo District, Zambia.Methods The study utilized a qualitative case study design, comprising key informant interviews with program managers (n = 4) and in-depth interviews with PAC providers (n = 22). Purposive-homogenous sampling was employed to specifically include current PAC providers from health facilities within the study district. The data was subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis.Results The involvement and support from local leaders and stakeholders such as traditional leaders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the district health office as well as effective monitoring and communication strategies put in place, positively contributed to PAC provider’s adhering to the guidelines. However, there were several barriers to the use of the guidelines such as late dissemination and unavailability of revised PAC guidelines, lack of reference to the guidelines due to work overload, lack of resources stipulated in the guidelines to provide the services and gaps in technical support, such as training, supervision, and supplies, created by withdrawing NGOs.Conclusion The study underscores that adherence to PAC guidelines is significantly influenced by contextual factors, rather than inherent shortcomings in the guidelines. The challenges identified in the study district predominantly arise from external health system barriers. These include ineffective dissemination, inadequate allocation of resources, insufficient training, and gaps in technical support. Addressing these systemic challenges will be crucial in enhancing adherence to PAC guidelines and ultimately improving the quality of care for women in need of post-abortion services.
A diverse panel of 755 bread wheat accessions harbors untapped genetic diversity in landraces and reveals novel genetic regions conferring powdery mildew resistance
Authors: Leber Rebecca , Heuberger Matthias , Widrig Victoria , Jung Esther , Paux Etienne , Keller Beat , Sánchez-Martín Javier 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Wheat breeding for disease resistance relies on the availability and use of diverse genetic resources. More than 800,000 wheat accessions are globally conserved in gene banks, but they are mostly uncharacterized for the presence of resistance genes and their potential for agriculture. Based on the selective reduction of previously assembled collections for allele mining for disease resistance, we assembled a trait-customized panel of 755 geographically diverse bread wheat accessions with a focus on landraces, called the LandracePLUS panel. Population structure analysis of this panel based on the TaBW35K SNP array revealed an increased genetic diversity compared to 632 landraces genotyped in an earlier study and 17 high-quality sequenced wheat accessions. The additional genetic diversity found here mostly originated from Turkish, Iranian and Pakistani landraces. We characterized the LandracePLUS panel for resistance to ten diverse isolates of the fungal pathogen powdery mildew. Performing genome-wide association studies and dividing the panel further by a targeted subsetting approach for accessions of distinct geographical origin, we detected several known and already cloned genes, including the Pm2a gene. In addition, we identified 22 putatively novel powdery mildew resistance loci that represent useful sources for resistance breeding and for research on the mildew-wheat pathosystem. Our study shows the value of assembling trait-customized collections and utilizing a diverse range of pathogen races to detect novel loci. It further highlights the importance of integrating landraces of different geographical origins into future diversity studies.
Quality of life and symptoms of pain in patients with endometriomas compared to those with other endometriosis lesions: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kanti Fleur Serge , Allard Valérie , Maheux-Lacroix Sarah 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
Endometriomas are genetically distinct from other endometriosis lesions and could be associated with a predisposition to excessive inflammation. However, differences in clinical presentation between types of endometriosis lesions remain understudied. This study aimed to investigate the quality of life and pain scores among patients with endometrioma compared to those with other types of endometriosis lesions.
Methods
A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between January 2020 and August 2023. Patients diagnosed with endometriosis completed the Endometriosis Health Profile 30 pain subscale questionnaire for their quality of life score and rated their endometriosis-associated pain symptoms using an 11-point numerical rating scale. Data were analyzed for comparison through multivariable linear regression models.
Results
A total of 248 patients were included and divided into endometrioma (81, 33%) and non-endometrioma (167, 67%) groups. The mean age of the patients was 37.1 ± 7.5 years old. Most participants were Canadian or North American (84%). One-third of the patients reported experiencing up to four concurrent pain symptoms. The most reported pain included deep dyspareunia (90%), chronic pelvic pain (84%) and lower back pain (81%). The mean quality of life score was 45.9 ± 25.9. We observed no difference in quality of life score between patients with and without endometriomas. Patients with endometriomas had lower mean scores for deep dyspareunia of 0.8 (95%CI, [0 to 1.5]; p = 0.049) and higher for superficial dyspareunia of 1.4 (95%CI, [0.2 to 2.6]; p = 0.028).
Conclusion
Among patients with endometriosis, the presence of endometriomas is not associated with a greater or lesser quality of life but difference in specific symptoms of dyspareunia.
Modification of Combustion Performance and Mechanical Properties of HTPB-Based High-Energy Composites with Non- Reactive Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Nanostructures
Authors: Moein Abolfazl , Kebritchi Abbas 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

This research effort was aimed at elucidating the effect of Octa-isobutyl-silsesquioxane (OIBS) and Octa-phenyl-silsesquioxane (OPS) nanostructures on the mechanical and Combustion Performance of Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) High-energy composites (HECs). This research included the investigation of mechanical properties in different concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 wt% of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS). It should be noted that in the concentration of 0.1 wt% of POSS, elongation was observed along with a decrease in the mechanical strength of the composite On the contrary, with increasing concentration from 0.1 to 2.5 wt%, an increase in mechanical strength occurred. These findings were more pronounced for OPS than OBS. In addition, the combustion performance of HEC mixed with 0.5 wt% POSS was evaluated. Then the original samples, these nanostructures showed an increase in the burning rate of the sample. Significantly, the burning rate of HECs containing OIBS exceeded that of OPS. Findings obtained through XRD (X-ray Diffraction) and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) analysis proved that POSS nanostructures increase the performance and combustion efficiency of HECs. In conclusion, a mechanism was proposed to improve the mechanical and combustion properties of HECs by POSS nanostructures distributed in the composite matrix.
Wasted Space: Repurposing Landfills for Resilient Ecologies and Improvements to Equity
Authors: Beeson Sarah Zibanejadrad 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

How can a closed municipal solid waste landfill be repurposed to provide improvements to ecology and equity once the landfill has reached the end of its intended life cycle? The impact of landfills on the environment and human health has improved considerably since the early 1990s with the introduction of federal municipal solid waste landfill regulations through the implementation of Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) as administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and state-level regulatory agencies. However, a landfill does little to positively contribute to the local ecology and surrounding residents without significant modifications. Once a landfill has reached the end of its life cycle and is no longer accepting waste, it is often capped, closed, and monitored for up to thirty years post-closure per regulatory requirements. As a result, the property remains a municipal asset which must be maintained to meet post-closure requirements under RCRA, yet the surrounding environment receives little to no benefit from a large, underutilized plot of clear-cut land used solely to store waste. This paper will explore how closed municipal solid waste landfills can be repurposed to provide contributions to the local environment and provide amenities for the use of surrounding residents.
A germline chimeric KANK1-DMRT1 transcript derived from a complex structural variant is associated with a congenital heart defect segregating across five generations
Authors: Costa Silvia Souza , Fishman Veniamin , Pinheiro Mara , Rodrigueiro Andre , Sanseverino Maria Teresa , Zielinsky Paulo , Carvalho Claudia M. B. , Rosenberg Carla , Krepischi Ana Cristina Victorino 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Structural variants (SVs) pose a challenge to detect and interpret, but their study provides novel biological insights and molecular diagnosis underlying rare diseases. The aim of this study was to resolve a 9p24 rearrangement segregating in a family through five generations with a congenital heart defect (congenital pulmonary and aortic valvular stenosis, and pulmonary artery stenosis), by applying a combined genomic analysis. The analysis involved multiple techniques, including karyotype, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), FISH, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), RNA-seq and optical genome mapping (OGM). A complex 9p24 SV was hinted at by CMA results, showing three interspersed duplicated segments. Combined WGS and OGM analyses revealed that the 9p24 duplications constitute a complex SV, on which a set of breakpoints match the boundaries of the CMA duplicated sequences. The proposed structure for this complex rearrangement implies three duplications associated with an inversion of ~ 2Mb region on chromosome 9 with a SINE element insertion at the more distal breakpoint. Interestingly, this hypothesized genomic structure of rearrangement forms a chimeric transcript of the KANK1/DMRT1 loci, which was confirmed by RNA-seq on blood from 9p24 rearrangement carriers. Altogether with breakpoint amplification and FISH analysis, this combined approach allowed a deep characterization of this complex rearrangement. Although the genotype-phenotype correlation remains elusive from the molecular mechanism point of view, this study identified a large genomic rearrangement at 9p segregating with a familial congenital clinical trait, revealing a genetic biomarker that was successfully applied for embryo selection, changing the reproductive perspective of affected individuals.
Voxel-wise Fusion of Resting fMRI Networks and Gray Matter Volume for Alzheimer's Disease Classification using Deep Multimodal Learning
Authors: Itkyal Vaibhavi S. , Abrol Anees , LaGrow Theodore J. , Fedorov Alex , Calhoun Vince D. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder requiring accurate and early diagnosis for effective treatment. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and gray matter volume analysis from structural MRI have emerged as valuable tools for investigating AD-related brain alterations. However, the potential benefits of integrating these modalities using deep learning techniques remain unexplored. In this study, we propose a novel framework that fuses composite images of multiple rs-fMRI networks (called voxelwise intensity projection) and gray matter segmentation images through a deep learning approach for improved AD classification. We demonstrate the superiority of fMRI networks over commonly used metrics such as amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fractional ALFF in capturing spatial maps critical for AD classification. We use a multi-channel convolutional neural network incorporating the AlexNet dropout architecture to effectively model spatial and temporal dependencies in the integrated data. Extensive experiments on the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset of AD patients and cognitively normal (CN) validate the efficacy of our approach, showcasing improved classification performance of 94.12% test accuracy and an area under the curve (AUC) score of 97.79 compared to existing methods. Our results show that the fusion results generally outperformed the unimodal results. The saliency visualizations also show significant differences in the hippocampus, amygdala, putamen, caudate nucleus, and regions of basal ganglia which are in line with the previous neurobiological literature. Our research offers a novel method to enhance our grasp of AD pathology. By integrating data from various functional networks with structural MRI insights, we significantly improve diagnostic accuracy. This accuracy is further boosted by the effective visualization of this combined information. This lays the groundwork for further studies focused on providing a more accurate and personalized approach to AD diagnosis. The proposed framework and insights gained from fMRI networks provide a promising avenue for future research in deep multimodal fusion and neuroimaging analysis.