Semaglutide is a Glucagon Like Peptide GLP agonist, Semaglutide has been shown to be effective in inducing weight loss in patients with obesity. Studies have shown that the infusion of GLP 1 results in reduced gastrointestinal emptying and an increased rate of fasting and postprandial gastric volumes, resulting in a decrease in hepatic glycemia. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among women of reproductive age, Semaglutide affects the brain’s hunger control centers, causing a reduction in food intake and an increased feeling of fullness, that is helpful in people who are struggling to lose weight. Multiple trials have shown that introduction of Semaglutide in regime helps with weight loss in patients of PCOD and is also effective in management of insulin resistance and lowering high levels of VLDL, LDL and triglycerides. Possible introduction of Semaglutide in the treatment of PCOD and obesity should be considered.

TENOFOVIR INDUCED FANCONI SYNDROME IN A MIDDLE AGE AFRICAN FEMALE FROM KENYA, EAST AFRICA: CASE REPORT AND BRIEF LITERATURE REVIEW.

The rapid development of Industrial Internet has brought new changes to the system architecture for industrial manufacturing. This paper proposes a system architecture applicable to small-scale personalization production lines, the key of which is a three-layer architecture with the Internet layer, data layer, and field control layer, in which the user's requirements for personalization product are transmitted from the Internet to the production line and the production equipment realizes the personalized production of products by motion control. This system architecture for production lines integrates Industrial Internet and smart manufacturing technologies, which reduces the complexity of the enterprise system architecture and increases the flexibility of the system compared to mass personalization production systems. The system architecture has been proven in a flexible production line for yogurt filling and can lay the foundation for the trans-formation of industrial manufacturing to a personalization production.

To date, it is the first case of paradoxical embolism (PDE) that concurrently manifested in the coronary and lower limbs arteries, secondary to central venous catheter (CVC) thrombus via the patent foramen ovale (PFO). Here, we report a case of simultaneous coronary and lower limbs artery embolism in a PFO patient carrier of a CVC. Doppler ultrasound showed a large thrombus in the right internal jugular vein, precisely at the tip of the CVC. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography confirmed the existence of PFO, with inducible right-to-left shunting by the Valsalva maneuver. Thus, PFO might be the potential access of multiple PDE in patients with CVC-associated thrombosis.

Objectives: Congenital ventricular outpouching (CVO) is a rare cardiac malformation that can manifest as congenital ventricular aneurysm (CVA) and/or congenital ventricular diverticula (CVD). In this study, we describe the prenatal features and postnatal follow-up of 27 cases of CVO. Methods: The clinical data of 27 patients with CVO who attended Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to the Medical College of Zhejiang University (Zhejiang Province, China) and Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University (Zhejiang Province, China) from April 2013 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were also followed up by telephone. The prenatal characteristics and postnatal outcomes of the patients with CVO were evaluated. Results: CVO was detected in 26 cases prenatally,, 14 (51.85%) were diagnosed with CVA, 9 (33.33%) were diagnosed with CVD, 3 (11.11%) were equivocal for CVA/CVD, and 1 (3.70%) was detected with CVA postnatally. Six patients underwent follow-up fetal echocardiography approximately 4 weeks after the initial echocardiography examination, and a significant difference in CVO size was observed between the two examinations ( P = 0.02). Eight patients (29.63%) demonstrated cardiovascular dysfunction, and the median CVO size in fetuses with and without cardiovascular dysfunction was 205 (range: 169–396) mm 2 and 124 (range: 92–154.5) mm 2, respectively ( P = 0.01). Eight patients (29.63%) had cardiac/extracardiac defects. Thirteen patients were live born, 12 were terminated pregnancies, and 2 were lost to follow-up. The postpartum size of the CVOs remained stable in six patients, decreased in two patients, dissolved in three patients, and were surgically removed in two patients. With the exception of one patient with CVA complicated with complex congenital cardiac malformation who underwent surgical treatment after birth and who had postoperative left ventricular dysfunction (Case 1), the prognosis of all of the patients was good. Conclusion: Most cases of fetal CVO have typical echocardiographic manifestations of CVA or CVD, while some cases manifest as a mixture of the two. The size of fetal CVO can increase with the increase in gestational age. The occurrence of cardiovascular dysfunction is related to the CVO size. Prenatal echocardiography should examine changes in CVOs and the occurrence of cardiovascular dysfunction. In general, the postpartum prognosis of fetal CVO is good.

Right ventricular diverticulum is a very rare form of congenital heart disease. In this article, we present two patients with right ventricular diverticulum diagnosed by applying two-dimensional echocardiography in combination with right heart acoustic imaging and confirmed by lung-enhanced CT or cardiac-enhanced MRI.

Many corporations and nations have pledged to reach net-zero emissions within a few decades. Meeting such targets for greenhouse gases, plastics, etc. requires systematic methods to guide investment in technologies and value-chain alternatives, and develop roadmaps. The proposed framework is a multi-period planning model to guide optimal reforms in cradle-to-cradle life-cycle networks across the time horizon. It aims to meet environmental targets while minimizing the total annualized marginal cost of natural resources and the investment cost associated with adoption of novel technologies. This considers the evolution of technology readiness levels as S-curves or continuous time Markov-chains. Integrated Assessment models account for climate change, decarbonization due to energy mix changes, and carbon taxes. Multiple climate change scenarios and shared socioeconomic pathways are used to model the future. In addition to providing roadmaps, the outputs can also be used to identify technologies that will be robust to future scenarios.

A novel double H-bonds multimer absorbent for H2S absorption was designed via intermolecular self-assembly using DBU and EG under the guidance of QCC. The formation mechanisms of multimer absorbents and the absorption mechanisms between those absorbents and H2S were explored by QCC and experiments. It was found that the formed DBU-2EG multimer absorbent at the DBU/EG molar ratio of 1:2 has two intermolecular H-bonds with different strengths between DBU and EG, which can combine with H2S via weak H-bond. Furthermore, the characteristics analysis of multimer absorbents confirmed the above mechanisms. Experimental results indicated that the DBU-2EG has the highest H2S solubility of 2.64 mol/mol (DBU) with a low viscosity value of 15.12 mPa·s at 25 ℃ and desorption temperature below 60 ℃ at 100 kPa. The multimer absorbent exhibits great potential in the H2S capture process. In addition, this research provides an effective strategy for the design of absorbents.

Swelling granular media can experience size-induced percolation phenomena giving rise to segregation. In this work, the Discrete Element Method is employed to investigate the effects of size ratio and swelling kinetics on the segregation. The numerical analysis was carried out on a binary mixture consisting of coarse and fine particles and several mixing indices found in literature were adapted and tested for evaluating the mixing of expanding systems. Additionally, a relative percolation velocity was employed to quantify the percolation of fine particles. The results show that the percolation of fine particles becomes more significant as the size ratio increases. Additionally, results showed that the swelling kinetics has no impact on the segregation tendency. This research provides valuable insight into the effect of size ratio and swelling kinetics on the segregation behaviour of swelling granular materials, which can contribute to understanding percolation phenomena in various fields.

Starch particle digestion is an important topic in food digestion research. This study has developed a diffusion-reaction model to characterize hindered enzyme diffusion and substrate hydrolysis on the surface and in the interior of porous starch particles. A moving boundary numerical method is applied to account for particle shrinkage caused by surface reaction. This model has been proven to predict the digestion rate of various starch particles of different sizes. The parameter estimation procedure quantifies the properties that are hard to measure by experimental techniques, i.e., diameter, reactive area, and proportion of pores accessible for enzyme as well as susceptibility of starch to enzyme. This work formulates a quantitative procedure for identifying the particle digestion pattern (i.e., outside-in or inside-out) by resorting to the developed model. Computational experiments indicate that in addition to the internal architecture, particle size also has a significant effect on the digestion pattern.

Mapping and understanding humins coking during carbohydrate conversion is crucial for improving solid catalyst systems. However, methods for mapping coking are still in need of development. In this study, a Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based Back-propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) reduced-order model (ROM) is developed to map humins distribution during the conversion process. The ROM reveals 3 configurations of intra-particle coking distribution (surface-focus, middle-layer-focus and central focus coking). Results indicate that the surface-focus configuration leads to a decreasing trend in the macroscopic coke accumulation rate with reaction cycles,, especially under extreme conditions (surface humins/central humins > 10). Depending on the proportion of HMF-derived humins and the Thiele modulus of the substrate, the proportion of three configurations varies with catalyst load, pellet size, and substrate concentration. The extreme surface-focus coking configuration can be determined by calculating the ideal humins density on pellet surface. Corresponding catalytic system design strategies are proposed.

Introduction: Leptospirosis is a disease caused by a bacterium in the genus Leptospira which is carried and transmitted by animals, thus making it a zoonotic disease. Leptospirosis is more commonly seen in the tropics and in people who work outdoors or with animals. Aim: This present article aimed to equip the government of Vanuatu and the global community on the proper health planning and management of leptospirosis in Vanuatu. And also to bring leptospirosis to public light in Vanuatu so that appropriate government and private bodies in the country can put more resources towards eradicating the disease. Methodology: In writing this article, peer-reviewed scientific articles obtained from PubMed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar databases were consulted. We synthesised our findings and engaged in a discussion emphasising the urgent need for global health attention and collaborative efforts to mitigate the rising cases of leptospirosis in Vanuatu. Result: We found an increase in leptospirosis cases in Vanuatu from January to March 2023. As of 31 March 2023, 8 new Leptospirosis cases were recorded from 23 March to 30 March 2023. As a result of this, a total of 51 leptospirosis cases have been recorded since January 2023. One death was reported during the last week of March 2023, with a total of 6 deaths. Conclusion: To halt the spread of leptospirosis in Vanuatu, a multi-pronged strategy must be devised by the government of Vanuatu, including various stakeholders in Vanuatu as well as international bodies, governmental officials, the medical communities, and public health scholars in the world.

Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi11 Department of Built Environment, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University; Greensboro, NC, 27411 USA; eobenggyasi@ncat.eduAbstract: This paper explores the mechanisms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and lead(Pb) exposure and how they interact to promote liver dysfunction. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2. The environment in which one resides may result in acute and chronically Pb-exposed individuals being infected with SARS-CoV-2. The effects of this exposure on liver dysfunction and its mechanisms are not fully understood. This paper seeks to close this gap in the literature by exploring potential ways this interaction may occur. Results indicated that the interaction of Pb and SARS-CoV-2 and its effects on the liver are likely through the promotion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Specifically, the rise of inflammation and oxidative stress and the promotion of fibrosis and apoptosis via nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were all potentially critical pathways identified. The release of liver injury enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and their role in contributing to thrombosis, coagulopathy, and liver injury are also identified. Finally, how combined exposure may lead to endothelial-mediated inflammation and thrombosis, subsequently bringing forth NASH and NAFLD via increased Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is discussed.________________*Address correspondence to Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi, Department of Built Environment; North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University; Greensboro, NC, 27411 USA; Phone:1-336-285-3132; Fax:1-336-334-7433 Email: eobenggyasi@ncat.eduKEYWORDS: Lead; Exposure; Mixed Exposures; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Metals; Viruses; Exposome; Hepatic; Liver1. Introduction

Emeritus Professor Margaret Baird forged a luminary career for her pioneering research investigating the role of dendritic cells (DCs) in cancer and infectious diseases, as an inspirational lecturer at the University of Otago and a role model to many. In this article celebrating the 100-year anniversary of ICB, we discuss Margaret’s career and life journey through the eyes of her family and co-authors, as we explore her many publications in ICB and beyond.

Apart from technical factors such as hydrogen production efficiency, the proper geographical distribution of renewable energy bases is essential for promoting large-scale hydrogen production from renewable energy sources on a provincial scale. This paper establishes a hydrogen production capacity planning method that takes into account the distribution of renewable energy bases. Based on the trading pattern of the hydrogen energy market in regions with a high proportion of renewable energy, a non-cooperative game pattern of hydrogen production capacity is constructed, where energy hubs acts as players, hydrogen production capacity acts as a strategy, and the minimum cost of hydrogen is a payment. On this basis, hydrogen production, transportation and consumption models are constructed by combining renewable energy utilization rate, population, and transportation network. Thereby, a non-cooperative game planning method for provincial hydrogen production capacity is proposed, and the gaming problem is transformed into an optimization problem solved iteratively to minimize the global hydrogen production cost. Furthermore, the provincial hydrogen production capacity planning arithmetic is constructed with the data of Qinghai Province. The equilibrium solution of the game with eight energy hub nodes as players is obtained, and the effectiveness of the model is verified. Finally, the impacts of population changes, installed renewable energy production capacity and industrial electricity prices on hydrogen production capacity planning and regional hydrogen costs are quantitatively analyzed.

A document by Samee Ullah. Click on the document to view its contents.

The term ‘habitat fragmentation’ is frequently associated with the biologically-destructive activities of human development, but an important evolutionary hypothesis posits that much of the biodiversity we see today was generated by episodic, natural habitat fragmentation. This hypothesis suggests that fragmentation can serve as a ‘crucible of evolution’ through the amplifying feedbacks of colonization, extinction, adaptation, and speciation. Interrogating the generality of this hypothesis requires measuring the repercussions of fragmentation at intra- and interspecific levels across entire communities. We use DNA metabarcoding to capture these repercussions from the scales of intraspecific differentiation to community composition in a megadiverse, ecologically foundational group, arthropods, using a natural habitat fragmentation experiment on patches of wet forest isolated by contemporary Hawaiian lava flows (kīpuka). We find a pronounced effect of area in kīpuka cores, where the taxonomic richness supported by a kīpuka scales with its size. Kīpuka cores exhibit higher intra- and interspecific turnover over space than continuous forest. Additionally, open lava, kīpuka edges, and the cores of small kīpuka (which are essentially entirely “edge”) host lower richness, are more biologically homogeneous, and have higher proportions of non-native taxa than kīpuka cores. Our work shows how habitat fragmentation isolates entire communities of habitat specialists, paving the way for genetic differentiation. Parsing the extent to which differentiation in kīpuka is driven by local adaptation versus drift provides a promising future avenue for understanding how fragmentation, and the different isolated communities created through this process, may lead to speciation in this system.

The capacity to form biofilms is a common trait among many microorganisms present on Earth. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that the fatal pine pitch canker agent, Fusarium circinatum, can lead a biofilm-like lifestyle with aggregated hyphal bundles wrapped in extracellular matrix (ECM). Our study suggests that F. circinatum biofilms respond to a changing environment, demonstrated by poor and optimal biofilm development under particular abiotic conditions, including temperature and pH. Further analysis revealed that while planktonic cells produced small amounts of ECM per unit of the biomass, heat- and azole-exposed biofilms produced significantly more ECM than non-exposed biofilms. The increased synthesis of ECM in biofilms due to these abiotic factors underscores biofilm importance in response to various stress conditions, demonstrating the adaptability of F. circinatum to changing environments. Interestingly, azole exposure also led to biofilms that were resistant to DNase, which typically uncouples biofilms by penetrating the biofilm and degrading its extracellular DNA; we propose that DNases were likely hindered from reaching target cells by the ECM barricade. The interplay between antifungal treatment and DNase enzyme suggests a complex relationship between eDNA, ECM, and antifungal agents in F. circinatum biofilms. Therefore, our results show how a phytopathogen’s sessile (biofilm) lifestyle could influence its response to the surrounding environment.

A document by Eliz Achhami. Click on the document to view its contents.

A Rare Case: IgG4-Related Chronic Inflammatory Disease with Kidney InvolvementFatos METE¹, Tuba MENGENECI¹, Emre ALBAYRAK¹, Yavuz AYAR2, Melike NALBANT3, Ilknur MUTLUCAN4, Zeliha Fusun BABA51Bursa City Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Bursa, Turkey2Bursa City Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Bursa, Turkey3Bursa City Hospital, Department of Medical Pathology, Bursa, Turkey4Bursa City Hospital, Department of Radiology, Bursa, Turkey5Acıbadem International Hospital, Department of Medical Pathology, Istanbul, Turkey

A document by Asma Albtoosh. Click on the document to view its contents.

Pancytopenia as a first presentation of Late-onset SLE; A Case Report

Dung beetle serve as valuable indicators for studying environmental changes and as model systems for exploring ecosystem functionality. By analyzing the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in Catharsius molossus under starvation and refeeding conditions, this study investigates the effects of dietary states on the gut microbiota of these insects. Artificial rearing methods, along with 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics, were used to analyze Catharsius molossus gut microbiota under varying dietary conditions. The results indicate that at the phylum and genus levels, the gut microbiota of Catharsius molossus under refeeding conditions is more diverse than that under starvation conditions, with seven phyla and twenty-two genera showing significant differences (P < 0.05). In terms of functional prediction, the predicted functional genes of the gut microbiota were annotated to the KEGG database, revealing significant differences in thirty-two metabolic pathways at the third level (P < 0.05). Furthermore, it provides functional prediction information related to specific microbial taxa. Additionally, Dysgonomonas is speculated to participate in nitrogen fixation, and the gut microbiota of Catharsius molossus may potentially serve as a source of antimicrobial agents like anshanmycin. These findings provide novel insights into Coleoptera ecosystem microbial interactions and offer theoretical support for future applications.

Introduction: Preschool wheeze is a public health issue, due to its high frequency and morbidity. When the disease is severe and uncontrolled, despite optimal treatment, explorations are needed. Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective study at our tertiary asthma center in Rouen University Hospital, France. Each child under 3 years with severe uncontrolled preschool wheeze was admitted to a pediatric day hospital for a bronchoscopy. We collected the results of clinical, biological and radiological exams, and followed-up data at 1, 2 and 3 years (Y +1, Y +2, Y +3 respectively), to study the evolution of the disease, and identify factors of uncontrolled disease. Results: We included 135 patients; 63 (47%) were still followed-up in our center at Y +3. Median age at inclusion was 12 months. Thirty percent of patients still had severe uncontrolled wheeze at Y +3. Treatments were significantly decreased at Y +3 (p<0.001). A total IgE level higher than 7 kU/L was a factor in uncontrolled wheeze at Y +1, tobacco exposure (p<0.001) and female gender (p=0.05) were factors associated to the persistence of uncontrolled wheeze at Y +2, and a first case of bronchiolitis before 2 months old was a factor in uncontrolled disease at Y +3 (p=0.007). Discussion: Our study is unique in terms of its very young population, with very severe wheeze (80% of children included with a history of hospitalization, 8% in intensive care). Our therapeutic approach is original, enabling us to study the evolution of “therapeutic pressure” in the early years of this frequent disease, the pathophysiology of which is still poorly understood.