Association between diabetes mellitus and fetal and maternal outcomes during and after pregnancy-a nationwide study.

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) affects both the mother and fetus during and after pregnancy. Multiple studies have shown the prognostic impact of DM on maternal and fetal outcomes, but studies at the national level are limited. Therefore, we aimed to conduct this nationwide study.

Participant selection procedures in qualitative research: experiences and some points for consideration.

Qualitative research is widely embraced in the social sciences and education. Among the different traditional, modern, and community-oriented qualitative methodologies, we have drawn on our experiences to adopt seven qualitative methodologies: auto/ethnography, narrative inquiry, participatory action research, ethnography, case study, grounded theory, and phenomenology. Despite the abundance of literature on qualitative methodologies, there is still a need for a more focused exploration of participant selection procedures in qualitative studies.

Lung cancer risk and its potential association with PM in Bagmati province, Nepal-A spatiotemporal study from 2012 to 2021.

Background: Despite examining the role of an association between particulate matter and lung cancer in low-income countries, studies on the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter and lung cancer risk are still contradictory. This study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of lung cancer incidence and potential association with particulate matter (PM) in Bagmati province, Nepal.

Methods: We performed a spatiotemporal study to analyze the LC - PM association, using LC and annual mean PM concentration data from 2012 to 2021.

Development and validation of an artificial intelligence system for surgical case length prediction.

Background: Accurate case length estimation is a vital part of optimizing operating room use; however, significant inaccuracies exist with current solutions. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an artificial intelligence system for improved surgical case length prediction by applying natural language processing and machine-learning methods.

Methods: All inpatient elective surgical cases longer than 30 minutes completed between 2017 and 2023 at a single, quaternary care hospital were considered.

A Comparison of the Sensitivity and Cellular Detection Capabilities of Magnetic Particle Imaging and Bioluminescence Imaging.

Background: Preclinical cell tracking is enhanced with a multimodal imaging approach. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a highly sensitive optical modality that relies on engineering cells to constitutively express a luciferase gene. Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a newer imaging modality that directly detects superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particles used to label cells.

Using sensory and instrumental analysis to assess the impact of grape smoke exposure on different red wine varietals in California.

This study is an investigation of the impact of volatile phenols (VPs) released from burning wood during wildfires on grape composition and the resulting wines. Baseline levels of VPs in grapes and sensory differences between smoke-impacted wines and non-smoke-impacted wines were determined. The differences were related to different levels of smoke taint marker compounds in different wine matrices, using modified descriptive analysis (DA), multivariate statistics, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QqQ-MS) of the free and total VPs, and individual bound glycosides, respectively.

A systematic review of spatial and temporal epidemiological approaches, focus on lung cancer risk associated with particulate matter.

Background: Particulate matter (PM), including the major risk factor for lung cancer (LC), greatly impacts human health. Although numerous studies have highlighted spatiotemporal patterns and PM-LC associations, these studies have not been well-reviewed. Thus, we examined epidemiological studies linked with PM-LC and provided concise, up-to-date data.

Insulator-to-Metal Transition and Isotropic Gigantic Magnetoresistance in Layered Magnetic Semiconductors.

Magnetotransport, the response of electrical conduction to external magnetic field, acts as an important tool to reveal fundamental concepts behind exotic phenomena and plays a key role in enabling spintronic applications. Magnetotransport is generally sensitive to magnetic field orientations. In contrast, efficient and isotropic modulation of electronic transport, which is useful in technology applications such as omnidirectional sensing, is rarely seen, especially for pristine crystals.

Dupilumab Versus Mepolizumab for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyposis: An Indirect Treatment Comparison.

Background: Dupilumab and mepolizumab have shown efficacy and safety in treating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).

Objective: Without available results from head-to-head randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing dupilumab with other biologics, we conducted an indirect treatment comparison (ITC) with mepolizumab.

Methods: A systematic literature review identified RCTs of biologics in CRSwNP.

Ileal perforation peritonitis secondary to accidental ingestion of a chicken bone: A case report.

Introduction And Importance: Ileal perforation is a rare but serious condition that can arise from accidental ingestion of foreign objects. This report discusses an unusual case of ileal perforation peritonitis caused by ingestion of a chicken bone.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old male presented with acute generalized abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and vomiting for three days.

A novel nanocomposite drug delivery system for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

To develop an inhalable drug delivery system, we synthesized poly (lactic--glycolic acid) nanoparticles with Remdesivir (RDV NPs) as an antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 replication and formulated Remdesivir-loaded nanocomposites (RDV NCs) coating of RDV NPs with novel supramolecular cell-penetrating peptide nanofibers (NFs) to enhance cellular uptake and intracellular drug delivery. RDV NPs and RDV NCs were characterized using variou techniques, including Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and fluorescent microscopy. The cytotoxicity of RDV NCs was assessed in Vero E6 cells and primary human lung epithelial cells, with no significant cytotoxicity observed up to 1000 μg mL and 48 h.

Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and adult obesity among the US population: NHANES 2003-2016.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are naturally occurring environmental pollutants that may contribute to obesity in the adult population. To investigate the relationship between the urinary concentrations of PAH metabolites and adult obesity among the US population, the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES, 2003-2016) was used as a data source for this study. As many as 4464 participants in the NHANES 2003-2016 were included in the final analyses.

Breastfeeding Perceptions and Decisions among Hispanic Participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: A Qualitative Study.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition assistance program in the U.S. WIC served 2.

Identifying risk zones and landscape features that affect common leopard depredation.

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a pressing issue worldwide but varies by species over time and place. One of the most prevalent forms of HWC in the mid-hills of Nepal is human-common-leopard conflict (HLC). Leopard attacks, especially in forested areas, can severely impact villagers and their livestock.

Good machine learning practices: Learnings from the modern pharmaceutical discovery enterprise.

Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become an integral part of the drug discovery and development value chain. Many teams in the pharmaceutical industry nevertheless report the challenges associated with the timely, cost effective and meaningful delivery of ML and AI powered solutions for their scientists. We sought to better understand what these challenges were and how to overcome them by performing an industry wide assessment of the practices in AI and Machine Learning.

Characterization and removal of microplastics in the Guheshwori Wastewater Treatment Plant, Nepal.

Contamination of river water systems by microplastic particles (MPPs) is one of the emerging global environmental concerns with potentially widespread ecological, socioeconomic, and health implications. A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes and treats wastewater to remove pollutants and release safe water into the environment. There has been limited research on the characterization of microplastics and their removal in WWTP in South Asia.

Low-grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour presenting as retroperitoneal spindle cell neoplasm.

Retroperitoneal spindle cell neoplasms are diagnostically challenging. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs) can sometimes present as sporadic primary retroperitoneal tumours. MPNSTs are usually high-grade and highly aggressive tumours and are associated with a poor prognosis.

Smartphone microscopic method for imaging and quantification of microplastics in drinking water.

Analysis of microplastics in drinking water is often challenging due to smaller particle size and low particle count. In this study, we used a low cost and an easy to assemble smartphone microscopic system for imaging and quantitating microplastic particles as small as 20 μm. The system consisted of a spherical sapphire ball lens of 4 mm diameter attached to a smartphone camera as a major imaging component.

A qualitative study of Suaahara II influence on nutrition governance in Nepal.

Maternal and child undernutrition remain major public health problems in Nepal. Suaahara is a USAID-funded multi-sectoral nutrition programme aiming to strengthen local nutrition governance to reduce maternal and child undernutrition, among other objectives. The purpose of this study is to present findings from a recent qualitative evaluation of Suaahara II's influence on the decentralised implementation of Nepal's Multi-sectoral Nutrition Plan (MSNP) and identifying gaps and areas for improvement at the federal, provincial, and local levels to strengthen nutrition governance.

Three thousand years of Hg pollution recorded in mangrove wetland sediments from South China.

Mercury (Hg) is known to affect aquatic, terrestrial ecosystems as well as human health, through biomagnification. Mangrove wetlands are potential Hg sinks because of their low tidal velocity, fast sedimentation rate, strong reducing condition and high organic matter content. The spatial and temporal distribution of Hg has been a hot topic of recent studies in mangrove wetlands.

Volatile Organic Compound-Based Predictive Modeling of Smoke Taint in Wine.

Smoke taint in wine has become a critical issue in the wine industry due to its significant negative impact on wine quality. Data-driven approaches including univariate analysis and predictive modeling are applied to a data set containing concentrations of 20 VOCs in 48 grape samples and 56 corresponding wine samples with a taster-evaluated smoke taint index. The resulting models for predicting the smoke taint index of wines are highly predictive when using as inputs VOC concentrations after log conversion in both grapes and wines (Pearson Correlation Coefficient PCC = 0.

Patient listening on social media for patient-focused drug development: a synthesis of considerations from patients, industry and regulators.

Patients, life science industry and regulatory authorities are united in their goal to reduce the disease burden of patients by closing remaining unmet needs. Patients have, however, not always been systematically and consistently involved in the drug development process. Recognizing this gap, regulatory bodies worldwide have initiated patient-focused drug development (PFDD) initiatives to foster a more systematic involvement of patients in the drug development process and to ensure that outcomes measured in clinical trials are truly relevant to patients and represent significant improvements to their quality of life.