Laminitis associated with hyperinsulinemia a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in horses with equine metabolic syndrome. The diagnosis and management of insulin dysregulation are therefore critical to prevent the development of hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis. This review article aims to help primary care clinicians manage patients with insulin dysregulation by providing an overview of diagnostics, management strategies and new therapies that are available.

Background: Global Software Engineering (GSE) extends geographical, temporal, and cultural boundaries in distributed environments. Over the past two decades, GSE re-search has evolved to manage software development for distributed teams. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for comprehensive research, particularly during the software design phase, to support team collaboration in distributed development. Aim: This study systematically analyzes the evolution of research emphasis in the GSE field, specifically exploring on whether the research focuses increasing on software design due to the global pandemic. Method: We systematically analyzed the existing literature in two phases. In the first phase of our study, we mapped GSE research over the two decades leading to the pandemic (2000-2020). In the second phase, we used the forward snowballing approach to examine the literature on the software design phase published between 2020 and 2022. Results: The analysis of 592 research studies in the two phases reveals various trends in GSE research. Evaluation research is the most explored research type in methods and processes, and human aspects of development. Despite the paradigm shift caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that increased reliance on distributed teams, results show that while software organizations are extensively studied across all software engineering phases, the software design phase remains one of the least explored areas. Conclusion: This work highlights the evolving GSE research trends, emphasizing the rising significance of collaborative software design in distributed settings. Our findings address current research gaps and underscore the need for further research on software design activities. This contribution envisions a more collaborative, adaptable GSE field, guiding future research to support distributed teams.

Large acute epidural hematoma from head pin fixation fractureAuthorsVinicius Trindade Gomes da Silva1 – viniciustrindade@hotmail.comLouise Makarem1 - louisemakarem@gmail.comRhuann Pontes dos Santos Silva² - rhuannpontes02@gmail.comManoel Jacobsen Teixeira1 – manoeljacobsen@gmail.comWellingson Silva Paiva1 - wellingsonpaiva@yahoo.com.brInstitutions1 Division of Neurosurgery at University of São Paulo.² Catholic University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.PAIVA et al: EPIDURAL HEMATOMA FROM HEAD PIN FIXATION

Gentamicin (GM) is an aminoglycoside antibiotic with a rapid bactericidal effect in the treatment of many infections. However, its use in high concentrations for more than 7 days causes nephrotoxic side effects. It was aimed to determine the biochemical and molecular activities of resatorvid and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) on GM induced nephrotoxicity in rats. In the study, 34 Wistar albino rats were randomly distributed; Healthy control (n:6), Gentamicin (80 mg/kg, n:7), Gentamicin+Sham (%10 hydroalcoholic solution, n:7), Gentamicin+resatorvid (5 mg/kg, n:7), Gentamicin+ALA (100 mg/kg, n:7). Urinary IL-18, KIM-1 and NGAL levels were statistically decreased by resatorvid treatment, and KIM-1 levels were statistically decreased by ALA treatment compared to the gentamicin group. In addition, urine creatinine was partially decreased by resatorvid and ALA. NRF-2, CAS-3 and NR4A2 expressions were statistically decreased by resatorvid and ALA treatment. Nevertheless, NF-κB was statistically decreased only with resatorvid. The nephrotoxicity that limits the use of gentamicin in infections can reduce by resatorvid in the future. Therefore, it can be used for a longer and more effective in infections.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin condition impacting quality of life. Allergen recognition via specific IgE triggers immune responses and allergy symptoms. Cross-reactivity may induce auto-IgE responses and worsen AD. We aimed to analyze molecular mimicry between human AQP3 and Aspergillus fumigatus aquaporin, a potential allergen source. Methods: In silico analysis compared human (AQP3) and A. fumigatus aquaporin sequences with 25 aquaporins from allergenic sources. Sequences were obtained from UniProt and NCBI. Phylogenetic relationships and homology-based modeling were performed, with ElliPro predicting conserved antigenic regions on 3D structures. Results: Global identity among aquaporins was 32.6%, but one antigenic site exhibited 71.4% local conservation. Five monophyletic clades (A to E) were formed. Group B showed the highest identity (95%), including 6 mammalian aquaporins, including AQP3. A. fumigatus aquaporin shared the highest identity with Malassezia sympodialis (35%). Both human and A. fumigatus aquaporins featured three linear and three discontinuous epitopes, with a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 1.006. Conclusion: Possible linear and conformational epitopes on AQP3 were identified. High identity in one antigenic region suggests molecular mimicry between human and A. fumigatus aquaporins, potentially leading to autoreactivity and cross-reactivity. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Stapled peptides are a promising class of molecules with potential as highly specific probes of protein-protein interactions and as therapeutics. Hydrocarbon stapling affects the peptide properties through the interplay of two factors: enhancing the overall hydrophobicity and constraining the conformational flexibility. By constructing a series of virtual peptides, we study the role of each factor in modulating the structural properties of a hydrocarbon stapled peptide PM2 which has been shown to enter cells, engage its target MDM2 and activate p53. Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics (HREMD) simulations suggest that hydrocarbon stapling favors helical populations of PM2 through a combination of the geometric constraints and the enhanced hydrophobicity of the peptide. To further understand the conformational landscape of the stapled peptides along the binding pathway, we performed HREMD simulations by restraining the peptide at different distances from MDM2. When the peptide approaches MDM2, the binding pocket undergoes dehydration which appears to be greater in the presence of the stapled peptide compared to the linear peptide. In the binding pocket, the helicity of the stapled peptide is increased due to the favorable interactions between the peptide residues as well as the staple and the micro-environment of the binding pocket, contributing to enhanced affinity. The dissection of the multi-facet mechanism of hydrocarbon stapling into individual factors not only deepens fundamental understanding of peptide stapling, but also provides guidelines in the design of new stapled peptides.

Ultrasonographic Manifestations ofMultiple TuberousXanthomas on Bilateral Buttocks with Hypercholesterolemia: One rare case reportDongmei Li a , Lei Wang, MDb ,a University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610072, China.b Department of Medical Ultrasound, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China.

Hematological evaluation to explain indirect hyperbilirubinemia in a boy with cardiac arrhythmia showed the presence of PIEZO1-related hereditary xerocytosis (HX) [c.6008C>A (p.Ala2003Asp) variant] presenting with compensated hemolytic anemia and splenomegaly. PIEZO1 expression is not limited to erythrocytes and can also be found in other types of cells. It has been shown very recently that PIEZO1 is expressed in cardiomyocytes and chemically prolonging PIEZO1 activation results in cardiac arrhythmias. Since no other causative variants were detected in genes previously associated with cardiac arrhythmias, the arrhythmia was attributed to the PIEZO1 variant underlying HX. Arrhythmias can be fatal and we recommend that cardiac evaluation be part of the examination in patients with PIEZO1-related HX.

Against the backdrop of global warming, marine heatwaves are projected to become increasingly intense and frequent in the future. This trend poses a potential threat to the survival of corals and has the capacity to lead to the destruction of entire coral reef ecosystems. Although many studies have confirmed the resilience of corals to heat stress, but their ability to withstand repeated heatwave events occurring in nature remains unclear. In this study, focusing on physiological and symbiotic microorganism responses, we examined the adaptation and resilience of Turbinaria peltata after repeated exposed to marine heatwaves. In the first heatwave, From physiological perspective, Turbinaria peltata showed the average values of Chl a and endosymbionts increased, while GST, Caspase-3, CAT, and SOD showed significant decreases (p < 0.05) upon repeated exposure to heatwaves compared to the initial exposure. In terms of bacteria, the abundance of Leptospira which functional prediction indicating potential pathogenicity and intracellular parasitism, increased significantly during the initial exposure to the heatwave. In contrast, probiotic bacteria such as Achromobacter arsenitoxydans and Halomonas desiderata, which might related to mobile elements, biofilm formation, stress-tolerant bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, nitrogen uptake, and nitrate uptake, showed significant increases during the re-exposure to the heatwave. Overall, the results indicate that Turbinaria peltata adapts to marine heatwaves through physiological regulation and changes in the microbial community.

Purpose: Children with bronchiolitis admiteed to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for acute respiratory failure may require respiratory support with non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Enteral nutrition (EN) is associated with a reduction in hospital stay. Even so, guidelines do not specify on how to initiate, increase and maintain EN in these patients. Methods This was a prospective interventional study. Inclusion criteria were patients with bronchiolitis under NIV. A multidisciplinary team created an algorithm to improve EN for critically ill patients with bronchiolitis in need of NIV. In order to assess the protocol implementation, two periods of time were compared: Group 1: without nutrition implementation protocol vs Group 2, once the protocol was implemented. The project aim was to decrease the mean time to EN initation by 50% after the start of NIV. Secondary endpoints were time to reach target calories ( 100 kcal/kg/day), NIV duration, and % of patients with adverse effects. Results Hundred two patients were included in this study. In group 1, Forty eight and 54 in group 2. Statistically significant differences were detected in the main outcome. The mean time until the start of EN decreased from 18.5 hours to 6 hours (p<0.05) Median time to reach calorie goal decreased from 103.5 hours to 48.5 hours (p<0.05). No differences were dettected in other outcomes. Conclusions The implementation of a standardized route for EN in patients with NIV allow a decrease in the time of the start feeds and the time to the goal of caloric enteral nutrition.

In recent years, a number of clinical studies and animal experiments have confirmed that dietary fiber affects blood glucose metabolism by regulating intestinal flora. However, the correlation between dietary fiber and insulin resistance and the intermediate metabolites of insulin resistance are not completely clear. Water soluble cellulose (SDF) can selectively promote the growth and activity of some beneficial bacteria, so as to enhance the proliferation and function of beneficial bacteria. In the analysis of intestinal microbial population change, compared with Chow group, the relative abundance of Prevotella and bacteroides in feces of HFD group was significantly higher and Roseburia was significantly lower; Compared with HFD group, the relative abundance of Prevotella in F-HFD group decreased significantly, indicating that Prevotella may be an intestinal target microorganism for SDF to improve insulin resistance (IR) in rats fed high-fat diet. Based on the related metabolites of Prevotella, we detected the contents of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) in serum of rats in each group. The results showed that the content of BCAAs in serum of chow group was significantly lower than that of HFD group. Correlation analysis showed that BCAAs was significantly positively correlated with IR and glucose tolerance, positively correlated with Prevotella, and negatively correlated with oscillospira and Roseburia. Therefore, SDF may reduce the production of BCAAs by regulating the abundance of Prevotella in the intestinal flora of rats fed with high-fat diet, so as to reduce IR.

Objective To explore the value of speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) with low dose dobutamine stress echocardiography (LDDSE) for evaluation of viable myocardium (VM) in the acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods Eighty-five hospitalized patients with regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) according to routine echocardiography in STEMI, thirty patients with type 2 DM. All of them were underwent STE associated with LDDSE (STE-LDDSE) prior to coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Every segment image was acquired and evaluated by wall-motion analysis. The images of STE-LDDSE were analyzed quantitatively for peak-systolic strain (S) and strain rate (Sr), the short axis of radial strain (RS), radial strain rate (RSr), circumferential strain (CS), circumferential strain rate (CSr) and the long axis of longitudinal strain (LS), longitudinal strain rate (LSr) by using the QLAB software. All patients underwent PCI within one week after completing STE-LDDSE examination, and echocardiograms were reviewed at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Results A total of 183 regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) were detected in the DM group, of which 117 (63.93%) segments were viable myocardium; 357 RWMA were detected in non DM patients, of which 248 (69.47%) segments of viable myocardium were detected by echocardiography. The sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity of STE-LDDSE in detecting viable myocardium in DM group were 70.94%、77.45%、87.88% ; 92.31%、72.73% and 85.25% for LS and LSr. In the non DM group, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of LS and LSr were 68.95%、92.66%、76.19% ; 77.42%、88.07% and 80.67%, respectively. Further parallel diagnostic tests were conducted on LS and LSr parameters. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of detecting viable myocardium in the DM and non DM groups were 84.62%、45.45%、70.49%, 66.53%、63.30% and 65.55%, respectively, at rest; They were 84.62%、45.45%、70.49%, 66.53%、63.30% and 65.55%, respectively, during low dose dobutamine stress. Conclusion STE-LDDSE has a high value of detecting VM. Parallel diagnostic test for LS and LSr is the best choice in detecting VM in the patients with STEMI and is more sensitive for the patients with type 2 DM. It will be more effectively to guide the further treatment and to evaluate the prognosis of the STEMI patients.

Quarrying generates significant changes in the grasslands, by reducing ecological functions, reducing connectivity, impairing biodiversity, and degrading soil. Unlike other forms of destruction such as agriculture or urbanization, mining is characterized by eliminating soil and exposing the bedrock, facilitating groundwater contamination processes. Quarrying in Pampean grassland has been expanding for a century and little is known about the extent and distribution of quarries over the native environment. In this work, we analyze the spatiotemporal variation of quarrying activity on the Highland grassland in the Tandilia mountains of Argentina. Based on Landsat 5, 7, and 8 satellite imagery, from 1996 to 2022, and using QGIS software, we identified the location and extension of quarries, and we analyzed their change through time. Quarries covered 6428 ha, which was originally part of the Pampean grassland. The number of open quarries increased by 129%, from 69 in 1996 to 158 in 2022, and the area used for this activity increased by 172%, with a greater expansion being detected in the last ten years. At least 87 quarries were abandoned in 2022. Quarries are often abandoned without any kind of remediation, leading to further ecosystem deterioration. The current extension of quarrying activity (active and abandoned quarries) reduced the connectivity and a significant area (5.2%) of the Highland grassland of the Tandilia Mountains. Grassland conservation planning should include quarrying as a significant threat, and management actions must be considered to reduce its impact.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection has been extensively documented since the onset of the pandemic, particularly in the adult population. However, there is a lack of evidence describing the phenotypic manifestations of the disease in the pediatric population. We aimed to characterize the clinical phenotypes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized children. Methods: The EPICO study is a multicenter cohort conducted between April 2020- November 2021, involving 55 institutions in Spain and 13 institutions in Colombia. Hospitalized children aged 29 days to 17 years with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included to determine the disease´s evolution, severity factors, and outcomes. Cluster analysis was conducted to characterize clinical phenotypes. Results: A total of 2318 patients from Colombian and Spanish institutions were included. The population was 55% male, with infants being the largest group (36%). Five distinct phenotype clusters emerged, differing significantly in clinical and epidemiological characteristics. Cluster 1 (26.57%) consisted of infants without comorbidities, with low PICU admission and mortality rates. Cluster 2 (18.5%) had respiratory comorbidities, high co-detection, and mortality rates. Cluster 3 (11.51%) showed fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, and high PICU admission. Cluster 4 (32.09%) had mild unspecific symptoms and low mortality. Cluster 5 (11.3%) included adolescents without comorbidities, with low co-detection and hospitalization rates. Comparable findings were observed in both countries. Conclusion: Our study successfully identified distinct patterns of clinical and epidemiological characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized pediatric patients. These findings may help shape future guidelines and improve risk stratification in children.

Background: Despite advancements in vaccination and the transition from pandemic to endemic, SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a medical challenge, particularly among children. In this context, imaging diagnostics, such as chest x-rays, are crucial to the initial treatment of patients. This study aims to characterize the radiological findings in pediatric patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Colombia between April 2020 and November 2021, as well as their potential association with intensive care admission. Methods: In Colombia, a multicenter cohort comprised patients aged 29 days to 17 years with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and chest X-ray administered within 72 hours of hospitalization. In two separate groups, four radiologists evaluated the images. A fifth radiologist reviewed all the X-rays; and subsequently, these readings were used to calculate the kappa coefficient and to resolve discrepancies among the other radiologists. The results were compared to admission to intensive care. Results: Analysis was conducted on 392 patients with a mean age of 2 years, the majority of whom (42%) were infants. Sixty-eight percent of the radiographs had normal results. Peribronchial thickening and interstitial opacity were the most common aberrant findings (59%), followed by alveolar opacity (12%). 88 percent of findings were bilateral. The most common association between peribronchial thickening and intensive care admission was ventilatory failure. Interobserver agreement was low for peribronchial thickening (kappa = 0.1), but higher for consolidations and alveolar opacities (kappa = 0.4 and 0.5, respectively). Conclusion: In pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2, radiological findings are nonspecific and interobserver agreement is minimal. Although consolidation and alveolar opacities demonstrated greater concordance, they were not associated with clinical differences; therefore, chest radiography is not considered useful for determining the severity of COVID-19 in children.

Soil gravel content strongly affects ecological restoration; however, the response and mechanism of plant traits to soil gravel content under the sensitive and fragile natural environment of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau remains unclear. Herein, soils with three gravel content (10%, 30%, 50%) in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau were selected, and three plant species ( one indigenous specie of Elymus dahuricus (Ed), and two introduced ones of Festuca elata ( Fe) and Medicago sativa ( Ms)) were used in seven planting patterns with different proportions ( Fe, Ed, Ms, Fe + Ed (1:1), Fe+ Ms (2:1), Ed + Ms (2:1), Fe+ Ed+ Ms (2:2:1)). Plant traits, phytochemical properties and soil stoichiometric characteristics were measured to explore the interactive effects of soil gravels and plant species on vegetation restoration. Average plant height, coverage, shoot biomass and total biomass were most affected by plant species (F=277~611, p<0.01), followed by gravel content (F=90~195, p<0.01) and their interaction (F=5~51, p<0.05); root biomass was most affected by gravel content (F=130, p<0.01). Among plant species, shoot and root biomass, total biomass overall decreased in the order of Fe+Ed+Ms˃Fe˃Fe+Ms˃Fe+Ed˃Ms˃Ms+Ed˃Ed. Plant total biomass, shoot biomass, root biomass and shoot/root ratio among different soils overall decreased in the order of low˃ high˃ medium gravel contents. All plant species were restricted by soil nitrogen except for Ed and Ed+ Ms (N:P>14). In addition, average plant height, coverage, shoot biomass and total biomass were separately negatively and positively correlated with bulk density and total porosity (r=-0.88~-0.96 and 0.78~0.91, p<0.05), so did for total nitrogen, total phosphorus, organic carbon, C:N and N:P of shoot fraction and rhizosphere soils (|r|=0.69~0.97, p<0.05), indicating that gravel content affects plant growth through bulk density and nutrients. Therefore, optimizing the configuration of soil properties (mainly nitrogen and compactness) and plant species (isecologic niche plants) is an effective strategy for ecological restoration in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

A document by Huiwen Gao. Click on the document to view its contents.

Concern about possible cross sensitivity between cefazolin and penicillin leads to restrictions on the use of penicillin in patients with cefazolin hypersensitivity reactions and no history of penicillin allergy. Our study aims to document the prevalence of penicillin cross sensitivity in this patient cohort. Sixty-eight adult patients who were seen at our clinic with confirmed cefazolin hypersensitivity reactions during the ten-year study period (2009–2018) were investigated for allergy to penicillin. Demonstration of penicillin tolerance was by a combination of penicillin skin testing, penicillin drug provocation testing (DPT) and community exposure to penicillin. There were no positive penicillin DPTs or reported reactions to penicillins in the community in our cohort. There were six false positive penicillin skin test results. Four patients were lost to follow up. We conclude that allergy to penicillin is uncommon in patients with confirmed hypersensitivity to cefazolin. Penicillin skin testing in this cohort of patients is time consuming, costly, and unreliable with a significant rate of false positives which may lead to patients being inappropriately labelled as penicillin allergic.

Introduction: The safety and effectiveness of catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVR) have been reported. However, the impacts of different types of mitral valves on the safety and effectiveness of catheter ablation in patients with AF who underwent MVR have not been elucidated. Methods and results: From 2015 to 2021, 17,496 patients underwent catheter ablation of AF for the first time in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were screened. The inclusion criteria were (1) aged 18 years or older; (2) diagnosed with AF; (3) history of mitral valve replacement. The exclusion criteria were a history of catheter ablation, surgical maze procedure, left atrial appendage closure or resection. A total of 68 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: the bioprosthetic MVR group (n=12) and the mechanical MVR group(n=58). The size of the left atrial was larger (49.5mm vs. 46.0mm, p<0.05), the thickness of the left interventricular septum was larger (11.0mm vs. 10.0mm, p<0.05), and the mitral ring area was smaller (2.3mm2 vs. 2.6mm2, p<0.05) for the bioprosthetic MVR group than the mechanical MVR group. During 23.4 (6.1, 36.5) months of follow-up, the incidence of the endpoint events was not significantly different between the two groups (33.3% vs. 30.4%, log-rank p=0.48). There were 2 cases (3.4%) of pseudoaneurysm and 1 case of acute cerebral infarction in the mechanical MVR group. No complication was observed in the bioprosthetic MVR group. No significant clinical bleeding events were observed in the bioprosthetic group while eight patients in the mechanical MVR groups had bleeding events (p=0.368) during the follow-up. Conclusion: The safety and effectiveness of catheter ablation of AF were comparable between the patients with mechanical MVR and bioprosthetic MVR.

Introduction: It was a century ago, whether used separately or in combination with other medicines, that radiotherapy evolved into a successful cancer treatment. In traditional radiation therapy, a dose volume histogram (DVH) is utilized for quantitative analysis of the treatment plan after the adoption of the treatment planning system. An isodose distribution is also used for qualitative analysis and evaluation of the treatment plan during this phase. The right treatment plan is assessed using physical and radiobiological models by in-house software developed for radiation oncologists. Materials and Methods: The first process was the OSCAR (Object Scoring with Coloured Area of Regret) treatment planning system, developed by Theratronics International, Kanata, Canada in 1991, which was one of the numerous plan evaluation software programs that were established in the field of radiation medicine to analyse and regularize the dose distribution. Many plan evaluation programs have been created over the developing years, with the commercial software used primarily and the primary inclusion MATLAB, and very few have been created using Microsoft Visual Basic, C++, and Java. As a substitute for MATLAB, Python is utilized because it is freely available and has no commercial value. Results: This study’s primary objective is to personalize the radiobiological effects to predict each patient by using the DVH data, which are now accessible, to improve the overall performance of the prior model. Several programming languages were initially investigated to check the portability and quick program execution to illustrate the novel ideas. It was discovered that Python was adequate for this research even if it has no economic value compared to other languages. The software receives the DVH data in text format as an input, and for convenience, it displays the output using a variety of Python widgets. Discussion: The major radiobiological parameter values, TD50/5, slope parameter (m), and volume parameter (n), are used to calculate the tumor control probability (TCP) and NTCP values of numerous targets and oars from their respective DVH statistics using Python software. The evaluation of the physical indices of the treatment plans, the AAPM, RTOG, and QUANTEC protocols were used in a clinical analysis for the execution of treatment plans. Conclusion: The problem in the previous plan evaluation tool was fixed by the custom-made PYTHON program used for this research investigation, which also added clinical and radiobiological understanding of the treatment plan. The software produces a report using Microsoft Excel for the comprehensive radiobiological and dosimetric plan evaluation study for cancer patients.

This study aimed to explore the associations between the home literacy environment (HLE) and preschoolers’ eye movements during storybook reading. A total of 87 Mandarin-speaking children between the ages of 3 and 6 participated in the study. Their vocabulary and ability to recognize Chinese characters tested were tested, and their eye movements while reading picture books were recorded. Their parents filled out a questionnaire that measured home literacy environment (HLE), including social interactions and literacy activities. The results showed that the home literacy environment was associated with children’s attention to print as indicated by their proportion of fixation duration on the print during storybook reading. Among the components of HLE, interactive reading was found to contribute the most distinctive variances to children’s fixations on the print during storybook reading. The experience of interactive reading was also related to young children’s literacy skills but not vocabulary. These findings provide empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of interactive reading as a potential avenue for improving children’s reading abilities.

Introduction. Adolescents living in peri-urban communities are more vulnerable to risky behaviours such as substance use. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence, risk and protective factors of adolescent substance use in peri-urban communities in Abuja. Methods. Date on lifetime and current substance use was collected using the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey Instrument. Data on risk and protective factors of adolescent substance use, based on the Problem Behaviour Theory, was also collected. Using the SPSS software, bivariate analysis was conducted using chi-square and independent t-tests, and multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regression. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The prevalence of lifetime substance use was 22.8% and current substance use was 18.5%. “Mixed drinks” was the most currently consumed substance at 8.1%, followed by alcohol (5.7%), and shisha (4.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that self-esteem (p=0.007), delinquency (p<0.001) and parent alcohol use (p=0.045) were independently associated with adolescent substance use. Discussion. There is a high prevalence of substance use among adolescents living in peri-urban communities in Abuja, Nigeria, and a new pattern of substance use consumption. Some risk factors identified by the problem behaviour theory were independently associated with adolescent substance use.

Background: In the multiple trials that established the efficacy of implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) in preventing sudden cardiac death, patients aged ≥ 80 years were poorly represented. One aspect of the paucity of data on outcomes in this subgroup pertains to any difference in survival based on the indication for the device, i.e. primary vs secondary prevention of ventricular arrhythmias. Methods: We performed a monocentric retrospective observational study of octogenarians receiving ICD therapy over a twelve-year period (n=95). Fisher exact and Chi-squared tests were used for categorical variables and student t-test and Wilcoxon rank-sum for continuous variables. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using logrank test and an adjusted Cox regression Hazard Ratio model was performed to compare survival between primary and secondary prevention groups. Results: Mean age of the cohort was 83.1 ± 3 years, with 85% (n=81) being male. 73% (n=69) of the participants had ischaemic cardiomyopathy and 43% (n=41) met the primary prevention indications. Overall survival at 5 years was 80% with a median survival time post device implantation at 27 months (IQR 12 – 55). The difference in survival rates between primary and secondary prevention was not statistically significant (p=0.63). Inappropriate shocks were delivered in 2 patients while 14 patients were successfully treated with appropriate therapy. Complications were encountered in 9.5% (n=9) of cases. Conclusion: In carefully selected octogenarians, there is no significant difference in the survival benefit conferred by ICD therapy based on the indication for the device. Advanced chronological age alone should not unduly influence the decision for ICD selection. There is an imperative for a greater representation of this cohort in future trials

Since the invention of whole genome prediction (WGP) more than two decades ago, breeding programs have established extensive reference populations that are cultivated under diverse environmental conditions. The introduction of the CGM-WGP model, which integrates crop growth models (CGM) with WGP, has expanded the applications of WGP to the prediction of unphenotyped traits in untested environments, including future climates. However, CGMs require multiple seasonal environmental records, unlike WGP, which makes CGM-WGP less accurate when applied to historical reference populations that lack crucial environmental inputs. Here, we investigated the ability of CGM-WGP to approximate missing environmental variables to improve prediction accuracy. Two environmental variables in a wheat CGM, initial soil water content (InitlSoilWCont) and initial nitrate profile, were sampled from different normal distributions separately or jointly in each iteration within the CGM-WGP algorithm. Our results showed that sampling InitlSoilWCont alone gave the best results and improved the prediction accuracy of grain number by 0.07, yield by 0.06 and protein content by 0.03. When using the sampled InitlSoilWCont values as an input for the traditional CGM, the average narrow-sense heritability of the genotype-specific parameters (GSPs) improved by 0.05, with GNSlope, PreAnthRes and VernSen showing the greatest improvements. Moreover, the root mean square of errors for grain number and yield was reduced by about 7% for CGM and 31% for CGM-WGP when using the sampled InitlSoilWCont values. Our results demonstrate the advantage of sampling missing environmental variables in CGM-WGP to improve prediction accuracy and increase the size of the reference population by enabling the utilisation of historical data that is missing environmental records.