Performance of the 1 h oral glucose tolerance test in predicting type 2 diabetes and association with impaired β-cell function in Asians: a national prospective cohort study.

Background: Postprandial glucose concentration 1-h (1 h-PG) after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) has similar or superior performance to 2 h-PG in predicting type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in several populations, and is simpler to obtain in clinical practice. However, studies in Asians are scarce. We investigated the utility of elevated baseline 1 h-PG in predicting T2DM incidence within three years, and its relationship with β-cell function in 1250 non-diabetic Asian participants.

Continuous reference intervals for plasma cystatin C and creatinine in Vietnamese children.

Background: Serum (plasma) creatinine and cystatin C are widely used in pediatric clinical practice to assess glomerular filtration rate. Both markers have limitations due to the low index of individuality, which affects the clinical sensitivity of population-based reference intervals, especially when wide age ranges are considered. This study aimed to establish age-related reference intervals for plasma cystatin C and creatinine in Vietnamese children.

Pulmonary Embolism: Webcast June 13 2024.

This 61-minute webcast features a conversation about "Pulmonary Embolism"-the focus of Issue 20.3. Hosted by the issue's editors, the discussion engages the authors on emerging themes and lessons learned while researching and writing the articles.

Iron-Photocatalyzed Decarboxylative Alkylation of Carboxylic Acids with Morita-Baylis-Hillman Acetates.

We present an iron-photocatalyzed decarboxylative alkylation strategy involving carboxylic acids and Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) acetates to synthesize -type tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes with moderate to excellent stereoselectivity (/ ratio up to >19:1). This method is applicable to a broad range of structurally diverse primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl carboxylic acids, as well as complex pharmaceutical and natural carboxylic acids, achieving efficient alkylation of various MBH acetates under mild conditions (>60 examples, with yields up to 96%). This approach offers a powerful strategy for streamlined alkylation.

Replacing yellow maize with Illipe nut (Shorea stenoptera) improves growth performance and meat quality of porker pigs.

The effects of incorporating Illipe nut into the diet of pigs, in replacement of yellow maize, on their growth performance and meat quality was investigated in a 60 days feeding trial. Twenty-four male pigs were divided into two treatments and fed diets with 0% (T1) or 15% (T2) Illipe nut inclusion. Feed intake, live weight (LW) and backfat thickness (BFT) were taken and used to calculate average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increase in backfat (IBF).

Cleavage and Reassembly of 1,3-Dicarbonyls with Enaminones to Synthesize Highly Functionalized Naphthols.

The cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds and their subsequent reassembly into highly functionalized and useful molecules in an atom-efficient manner has always been a central focus in the realm of organic synthesis. In this report, we describe the construction of highly functionalized naphthol esters via a tandem reassembly process, driven by Ullmann-type coupling of enaminones and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. Mechanistic investigations suggest the involvement of C(sp)-C(sp) coupling, cyclization, two acyl migrations, aromatization, and additional transformations within this tandem sequence.

Decarboxylative Coupling of Ketoacids with Allylic Acetates.

We developed a novel, metal-free catalytic system for synthesizing a broad range of itaconates using α-ketoacids and allylic acetate. This method, leveraging phosphine and Mes-Acr(BF) catalysts, has proven versatile, enabling the efficient itaconation of peptides, the synthesis of bioactive itaconates, and the preparation of an itaconate-based bio-orthogonal probe.

An innovative strategy for radical-mediated, bidirectional controlled disulfide exchange.

Metathesis reactions that operate cleanly and reversibly under biocompatible conditions are crucial in diverse fields such as drug development, chemical biology, and dynamic combinatorial chemistry. This paper introduces an innovative strategy using the commercially available and cost-effective hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodobenzene (HTIB) as a radical initiator, enabling clean and bidirectional disulfide metathesis under biocompatible conditions. Our method facilitates efficient forward reactions by utilizing an excess of one disulfide to shift the equilibrium toward unsymmetrical disulfides, while also ensuring clean reverse reactions by the removal of low boiling point dimethyl disulfide.

Allylation of Lactol in Water.

We developed a water-promoted cross-coupling of 3-hydroxyisobenzofuran-1(3)-ones and allylic boronates under biocompatible conditions. This approach facilitates the synthesis of diverse 3-allylic phthalides with high yields and exceptional selectivity in a metal-free manner. The versatility and practicality of this protocol underscore its significant potential for drug development and applications in medicinal chemistry.

Scalable single-microring hybrid III-V/Si lasers for emerging narrow-linewidth applications.

Silicon photonics, compatible with large-scale silicon manufacturing, is a disruptive photonic platform that has indicated significant implications in industry and research areas (e.g., quantum, neuromorphic computing, LiDAR).

Design of a Novel SiP Integrated RF Front-End Module Based on SOI Switch and SAW Filter.

This paper proposes a novel System-in-Package (SiP) integrated architecture that incorporates Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) switches and Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters within the chip, aiming to fulfill the demands for miniaturization and multi-functionality for application in emerging wireless technologies. The proposed architecture not only reduces the integration complexity but also considers the architectural design of the integrated module, impedance matching techniques, and signal integrity for carrier aggregation (CA) technology realization. The feasibility of employing SOI switches and SAW filters based on SiP design has been validated through the trial production of a Sub-3GHz radio frequency (RF) front-end diversity receiver module.

A Pilot Survey on Quality Control and Method Evaluation Practices in Clinical Laboratories in Nepal.

Background: There is a lack of systematic collection of information on the quality control practice and method evaluation approach in clinical laboratories in Nepal. Such data is important to formulate educational activities and policy that may address any potential knowledge and practice gap identified.

Method: The pilot survey included twelve questions regarding quality control practice and method evaluation approach and was distributed among the laboratory medicine professionals in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Intracapsular versus extracapsular tonsil surgery: Comparison of postoperative haemorrhage outcomes in the Australasian setting.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and timing of postoperative haemorrhage between intracapsular (ICT) and extracapsular tonsillectomy (ECT) techniques and evaluate factors influencing haemorrhage risk and severity.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing tonsillectomy over 5 years across otolaryngology services in Australia and New Zealand. Primary outcomes were rate and timing of post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage.

Recent Developments in Copper-Catalyzed Annulations for Synthesis of Spirooxindoles.

Spirooxindoles represent a special scaffold for pharmaceuticals and natural products, and significant advancements have been achieved in their synthesis in recent years. Among these, transition metal catalysis, particularly copper catalysis, has emerged as an efficient and reliable method for the synthesis of spirooxindoles. Based on different reaction types, two distinct substrate types have been summarized and classified by us for constructing spirooxindole scaffolds via intramolecular and intermolecular annulations.

A curious case of a negative control line on a dengue duo assay due to interference - A case report.

An elderly patient who presented with 1 week of fever and respiratory symptoms was tested for dengue infection with an Abbott Bioline™ Dengue Duo immunochromatographic assay. Unexpectedly, the control line of the dengue non-structural protein 1 (NS1) component was absent, necessitating result invalidation. It remained absent when the test was repeated on the SD Biosensor Standard™ Q Dengue Duo, but present on the Wells Bio careUS Dengue Combo and Asan Easy Test® Dengue DUO assays, suggesting potential interference.

Different Combinations of Nitrogen and Carbon Sources Influence the Growth and Postbiotic Metabolite Characteristics of Strains Isolated from Malaysian Foods.

Postbiotic metabolites produced by strains isolated from Malaysian food have been extensively reported for their positive effects on health. Understanding the effects of different combinations of carbon and nitrogen sources on the growth and corresponding characteristics of postbiotic metabolites produced by different strains of is important for various applications. Hence, the effects of different combinations of carbon (glucose, lactose, sucrose and dextrose) and nitrogen (X-SEED Kat, X-SEED Peptone, X-SEED Nucleo Advanced, Nucel875 MG, FM888 and FM902) sources on the growth of six strains of (RG11, RG14, RI11, RS5, TL1 and UL4) and the functional characteristics (bacteriocin inhibitory activity, antioxidant activity and lactic acid concentration) of their respective postbiotic metabolites were investigated in this study.

β-Silyl alkynoates: Versatile reagents for biocompatible and selective amide bond formation.

The study introduces a previously unidentified method for amide bond formation that addresses several limitations of conventional approaches. It uses the β-silyl alkynoate molecule, where the alkynyl group activates the ester for efficient amide formation, while the bulky TIPS (triisopropylsilane) group prevents unwanted 1,4-addition reactions. This approach exhibits high chemoselectivity for amines, making the method compatible with a wide range of substrates, including secondary amines, and targets the specific ε-amino group of lysine among the native amino ester's derivatives.

Photocatalytic Decarboxylative Allylation of α-Amino Acids and Peptides under Metal-Free Conditions.

We developed an organophotoredox catalytic system to facilitate the decarboxylative allylation coupling process concerning α-amino acids and related C-terminal carboxylate peptides using Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts as allylic precursors. This metal-free method operates under mild conditions and is compatible with various amino acids. The versatility of this protocol, particularly in chemical biology research, has been preliminarily demonstrated through the ligation of bioactive peptide chains.

Influence of Running Velocity and Hypoxic Exposure on Vastus Lateralis Muscle Oxygenation.

Purpose: We investigated the effects of manipulating running velocity and hypoxic exposure on vastus lateralis muscle oxygenation levels during treadmill running.

Methods: Eleven trained male distance runners performed 7 randomized runs at different velocities (8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 km·h-1), each lasting 45 seconds on an instrumented treadmill in normoxia (fraction of inspired oxygen [FiO2] = 20.9%), moderate hypoxia (FiO2 = 16.

GATA4 downregulation enhances CCL20-mediated immunosuppression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly cancer with a high global mortality rate, and the downregulation of GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) has been implicated in HCC progression. In this study, we investigated the role of GATA4 in shaping the immune landscape of HCC.

Methods: HCC tumor samples were classified into "low" or "normal/high" based on GATA4 RNA expression relative to adjacent non-tumor liver tissues.

Robust Catalytic SAr H/D Exchange of Arenes with DO: Metal-Free Deuteration of Natural Complexes and Drugs.

A catalytic metal-free approach for the H/D exchange in aromatic compounds using DO as the terminal deuterating reagent has been developed. This metal-free protocol employs a triaryl carbenium as the mediator and showcases a wide applicability in the late-stage deuteration of various natural products and small-molecule drugs. Gram-scale deuteration was successfully demonstrated with β-Estradiol, highlighting the method's practicability.