All-Arthroscopic Supraspinatus and Infraspinatus Muscle Advancement Leads to High Healing Rate and Excellent Outcomes in Patients With Massive, Retracted Rotator Cuff Tears, Even in Patients With Pseudoparalysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of an all-arthroscopic rotator cuff repair technique involving muscle advancement and double-layer lasso loop (DLLL) repair for massive, retracted posterosuperior cuff tears. METHODS: This was a retrospective case series of patients with massive, retracted posterosuperior cuff tears who underwent the all-arthroscopic muscle advancement technique from March 2017 to September 2021, with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Key steps included suprascapular nerve release, advancement of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles, and DLLL repair. Preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale score for pain, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder score, Constant score, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score, active range of motion, and strength were compared. Preoperative and postoperative structural radiologic characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: We evaluated 43 shoulders in 38 patients with a mean follow-up period of 18.8 months (range, 12-55 months). Of the 43 shoulders, 4 showed repair failure (9.3% retear rate). Visual analog scale, ASES, Constant, and UCLA scores significantly improved (P < .001) in patients who showed healing on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (n = 39). ASES, Constant, and UCLA scores were significantly better in the healed group, with 100% exceeding the minimal clinically important difference for the ASES score and UCLA score and 84.2%, for Constant score. A lower proportion of patients in the retear group achieved the minimal clinically important difference. Active range of motion in all planes significantly improved for patients who had healed repairs (P < .001). Relative abduction strength, supraspinatus strength, and infraspinatus strength were at least 90% of those on the contralateral side. The recovery rate of pseudoparalysis (7 patients) was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: All-arthroscopic muscle advancement, coupled with DLLL repair, leads to a high healing rate with excellent clinical outcomes and recovery of strength to at least 90%, even in patients with pseudoparalysis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Boosting Sodium Compensation Efficiency via a CNT/MnO2 Catalyst toward High-Performance Na-Ion Batteries.

The formation of a solid electrolyte interphase on carbon anodes causes irreversible loss of Na+ ions, significantly compromising the energy density of Na-ion full cells. Sodium compensation additives can effectively address the irreversible sodium loss but suffer from high decomposition voltage induced by low electrochemical activity. Herein, we propose a universal electrocatalytic sodium compensation strategy by introducing a carbon nanotube (CNT)/MnO2 catalyst to realize full utilization of sodium compensation additives at a much-reduced decomposition voltage. The well-organized CNT/MnO2 composite with high catalytic activity, good electronic conductivity, and abundant reaction sites enables sodium compensation additives to decompose at significantly reduced voltages (from 4.40 to 3.90 V vs Na+/Na for sodium oxalate, 3.88 V for sodium carbonate, and even 3.80 V for sodium citrate). As a result, sodium oxalate as the optimal additive achieves a specific capacity of 394 mAh g-1, almost reaching its theoretical capacity in the first charge, increasing the energy density of the Na-ion full cell from 111 to 158 Wh kg-1 with improved cycle stability and rate capability. This work offers a valuable approach to enhance sodium compensation efficiency, promising high-performance energy storage devices in the future.

Zn Single-Atom Catalysts Enable the Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation of α,ß-Unsaturated Aldehydes.

Highly active nonprecious-metal single-atom catalysts (SACs) toward catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes are of great significance but still are deficient. Herein, we report that Zn-N-C SACs containing Zn-N3 moieties can catalyze the conversion of cinnamaldehyde to cinnamyl alcohol with a conversion of 95.5% and selectivity of 95.4% under a mild temperature and atmospheric pressure, which is the first case of Zn-species-based heterogeneous catalysts for the CTH reaction. Isotopic labeling, in situ FT-IR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations indicate that reactants, coabsorbed at the Zn sites, proceed CTH via a "Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley" mechanism. DFT calculations also reveal that the high activity over Zn-N3 moieties stems from the suitable adsorption energy and favorable reaction energy of the rate-determining step at the Zn active sites. Our findings demonstrate that Zn-N-C SACs hold extraordinary activity toward CTH reactions and thus provide a promising approach to explore the advanced SACs for high-value-added chemicals.

Association between dietary pattern and Helicobacter Pylori infection at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Limited studies have reported the association between dietary patterns and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in Sabah. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the association between dietary pattern and H. pylori infection among patients aged 18 years and above that went for first esophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGDS) in 2021 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Kota Kinabalu. METHODS: Dietary intake of positive H. pylori was compared with healthy subjects by using questionnaire adapted from Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS) 2014. Using logistic regression models, we evaluated the association between dietary pattern and H. pylori infection risk. FINDINGS: Our finding identified four dietary patterns, namely "high carbohydrate pattern", "high fiber pattern", "high fat/cholesterol pattern" and "high salt pattern". After adjustment for potential confounders, the highest quartile of "high salt pattern" showed greater odds of H. pylori infection (OR = 1.26; 95% Cl: 1.032-1.459; P = 0.045) than lowest quartile, while highest quartile of "high fiber pattern" demonstrated lower odd of the infection (OR = 0.69; 95% Cl: 0.537-0.829; P = 0.008) than those in lowest quartile. If compared with Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) 2017, positive H. pylori consumed high carbohydrates and sodium with insufficient fiber intake. CONCLUSION: To conclude, "high fiber pattern" lowers the risk of H. pylori infection while "high salt pattern" increases the infection risk. Our study also highlighted the importance of nutrient intake within daily allowances.

Associations between the artificial intelligence scoring system and live birth outcomes in preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy cycles.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that iDAScore is more accurate in predicting pregnancy outcomes in cycles without preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) compared to KIDScore and the Gardner criteria. However, the effectiveness of iDAScore in cycles with PGT-A has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study aims to assess the association between artificial intelligence (AI)-based iDAScore (version 1.0) and pregnancy outcomes in single-embryo transfer (SET) cycles with PGT-A. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Chung Sun Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. Patients undergoing SET cycles (n = 482) following PGT-A at a single reproductive center between January 2017 and June 2021. The blastocyst morphology and morphokinetics of all embryos were evaluated using a time-lapse system. The blastocysts were ranked based on the scores generated by iDAScore, which were defined as AI scores, or by KIDScore D5 (version 3.2) following the manufacturer's protocols. A single blastocyst without aneuploidy was transferred after examining the embryonic ploidy status using a next-generation sequencing-based PGT-A platform. Logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equations was conducted to assess whether AI scores are associated with the probability of live birth (LB) while considering confounding factors. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that AI score was significantly associated with LB probability (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.037, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.632-2.542) when pulsatility index (PI) level and types of chromosomal abnormalities were controlled. Blastocysts were divided into quartiles in accordance with their AI score (group 1: 3.0-7.8; group 2: 7.9-8.6; group 3: 8.7-8.9; and group 4: 9.0-9.5). Group 1 had a lower LB rate (34.6% vs. 59.8-72.3%) and a higher rate of pregnancy loss (26% vs. 4.7-8.9%) compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis verified that the iDAScore had a significant but limited ability to predict LB (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.64); this ability was significantly weaker than that of the combination of iDAScore, type of chromosomal abnormalities, and PI level (AUC = 0.67). In the comparison of the LB groups with the non-LB groups, the AI scores were significantly lower in the non-LB groups, both for euploid (median: 8.6 vs. 8.8) and mosaic (median: 8.0 vs. 8.6) SETs. CONCLUSIONS: Although its predictive ability can be further enhanced, the AI score was significantly associated with LB probability in SET cycles. Euploid or mosaic blastocysts with low AI scores (≤ 7.8) were associated with a lower LB rate, indicating the potential of this annotation-free AI system as a decision-support tool for deselecting embryos with poor pregnancy outcomes following PGT-A.

Antidepressant polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from Hypericum ascyron.

Phytochemical investigation on the 90% EtOH extract of the air-dried aerial parts of Hypericum ascyron resulted in the isolation of three new polycyclic polyprenylated derivatives ascyronines A-C (1-3). Structural elucidation of all the compounds was performed by spectral methods such as 1D and 2D (1H-1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy. All the polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols were evaluated for their antidepressant activity by inhibiting the reuptake of tritiated serotonin ([3H]-5-HT) and noradrenalinet ([3H]-NE) in rat brain synaptosomes. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited weak antidepressant activities in the [3H]-5-HT mode.

Problematic Gaming in Malaysian University Students: Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Malay Language Versions of Gaming Disorder Test and Gaming Disorder Scale for Young Adults.

As research on gaming disorder (GD) is growing globally, the need for a valid and reliable instrument to assess GD has become crucial. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study translated and evaluated the psychometric properties of Gaming Disorder Test (GDT) and Gaming Disorder Scale for Young Adults (GADIS-YA) into Malay language versions. The sample comprised 624 university students (females = 75.6%; mean age = 22.27 years) recruited via an online survey from May to August 2022, using a convenience sampling method. Participants completed both GDT and GADIS-YA scales and other relevant measures including Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), and time spent on social media and gaming. Results showed that both instruments reported satisfactory internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis supported the one-factor structure for GDT and two-factor structure for GADIS-YA. Both scales were strongly correlated with each other and with the IGDS9-SF, BSMAS, and time spent on social media and gaming, supporting concurrent validity. Measurement invariance of both scales was confirmed across gender and gaming time. These findings suggest that the Malay versions of GDT and GADIS-YA are reliable and valid measures of problematic gaming among Malaysian university students.

Analysis of audiological outcomes of children referred from a universal newborn hearing screening program over 9 years in Beijing, China.

Universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) and audiological diagnosis are crucial for children with congenital hearing loss (HL). The objective of this study was to analyze hearing screening techniques, audiological outcomes and risk factors among children referred from a UNHS program in Beijing. A retrospective analysis was performed in children who were referred to our hospital after failing UNHS during a 9-year period. A series of audiological diagnostic tests were administered to each case, to confirm and determine the type and degree of HL. Risk factors for HL were collected. Of 1839 cases, 53.0% were referred after only transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) testing, 46.1% were screened by a combination of TEOAE and automatic auditory brainstem response (AABR) testing, and 1.0% were referred after only AABR testing. HL was confirmed in 55.7% of cases. Ears with screening results that led to referral experienced a more severe degree of HL than those with results that passed. Risk factors for HL were identified in 113 (6.1%) cases. The main risk factors included craniofacial anomalies (2.7%), length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit longer than 5 days (2.4%) and birth weight less than 1500 g (0.8%). The statistical data showed that age (P < 0.001) and risk factors, including craniofacial anomalies (P < 0.001) and low birth weight (P = 0.048), were associated with the presence of HL. This study suggested that hearing screening plays an important role in the early detection of HL and that children with risk factors should be closely monitored.

Significantly shortened telomere length and altered androgen receptor level in cumulus cells from women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between hormone receptor levels and telomere length (TL) in infertile women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study recruited a total of 431 cumulus oocyte complex (COC) from 88 infertile women between July 2012 and June 2014. The participants were divided into three groups: young age (<38 years, n = 42 and 227 COC), advanced age (≥38 years, n = 33 and 107 COC) and PCOS patients (n = 13 and 97 COC). Cumulus cells were collected from individual follicle during oocyte pick-up, and the mRNA levels of hormone receptors and TL were measured using real-time PCR. RESULTS: The cumulus cells of PCOS patients demonstrated lower mRNA levels of LH receptor (75.57 ± 138.10 vs. 171.07 ± 317.68; p < 0.01) and androgen receptor (1.13 ± 1.52 vs. 4.08 ± 9.57; p < 0.01), as well as a shorter TL (2.39 ± 2.58 vs. 3.96 ± 4.72; p < 0.01) compared to those of the young age group. In the young age group, only androgen receptor mRNA level showed a significant association with TL (rho = 0.148, p = 0.026), while FSH receptor mRNA level was the only factor associated with TL (rho = 0.247, p = 0.015) in PCOS patients. For advanced-aged patients, no significant relationship was observed between hormone receptor mRNA levels and TL. Alternative splicing of androgen receptors was identified in some PCOS patients but not in young age controls. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the androgen receptor level and function may be altered in the cumulus cells of PCOS patients, leading to a shorter TL in cumulus cells in PCOS patients.

Factors Affecting the Potential Efficacy of Intrauterine Platelet-Rich Plasma Infusion on Thin Endometrium in Women with Recurrent Implantation Failure.

Optimizing endometrial thickness (EMT) is crucial for successful embryo implantation, but enhancing thin endometrium remains a significant challenge. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)-derived therapies have emerged as a promising approach in reproductive medicine due to their capacity to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration. This study aims to identify the risk factors associated with the failure of intrauterine PRP infusion for thin endometrium in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). We retrospectively reviewed data from 77 women with RIF, all exhibiting an EMT of <7 mm. These women underwent programmed hormone therapy for frozen embryo transfer (FET) and received two autologous intrauterine PRP infusions. Following intrauterine PRP-lysate (PL) infusions, the mean increase in EMT was 1.9 ± 1.2 mm, with EMT reaching 7 mm in 86% of the cases (66/77; average EMT, 8.3 mm). We identified an exceedingly thin EMT as a risk factor impacting the therapeutic efficacy in increasing EMT (p = 0.04, OR: 3.16; 95% CI: 1.03-9.67). Additionally, the number of previous uterine surgeries emerged as a prognostic factor for pregnancy failure following PL infusion (p = 0.02, OR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.12-3.64). Our findings suggest that an extremely thin EMT and a history of numerous uterine surgeries can impede successful pregnancy, even when an optimal EMT is achieved following PRP infusion.

Seasonality, food security, diet quality and nutritional status in urban poor adolescents in Malaysia.

Seasonality was shown to have an effect on food availability and accessibility, increasing the risk of food insecurity and causing poor diet quality and malnutrition. Therefore, this study aimed to determine seasonal effects on household food security status, diet quality, and nutritional status of urban poor adolescents in Malaysia. A cohort study was conducted among 164 adolescents aged 10-17 from 12 People Housing Programme in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during the Northeast (November 2021 till March 2022) and Southwest (June 2022 till September 2022) monsoon. Household food security status was measured using the 18-item USDA Household Food Security Survey Module. Dietary intake was determined using a two-days 24-h dietary recall and translated into Standardized Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (S-MHEI). Anthropometric and haemoglobin level measurements were performed to determine nutritional status. Seasonality was found to have a significant effect on overall diet quality (p = 0.021), food groups such as fish (p < 0.001), meat/poultry/eggs (p = 0.003), and legumes/nuts (p < 0.001), and fat nutrient (p = 0.037) as well as anaemia status (p = 0.020) after controlling the confounders. Although food security did not vary with seasons, seasonality affected the consumption of certain food groups as well as anaemia status for urban poor adolescents. Seasonally sensitive nutrition initiatives should be developed to ensure diet adherence to recommendations, ultimately enhancing the diet quality of urban poor adolescents.

Increased incidence of live births in implanted day 5 versus day 6 blastocysts following single embryo transfers with PGT-A.

Elective single-embryo transfers of euploid or low-level mosaic blastocysts were analyzed in this retrospective study to determine the correlations of live birth (LB) probability with embryonic developmental features of implanted day 5 (D5, n = 245) or day 6 (D6, n = 73) blastocysts using time-lapse (TL) monitoring. According to the logistic regression analyses (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.341, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.169-0.685, P < 0.05), the LB probability was negatively associated with the D6 group. The LB rate of the D5 group was higher than the D6 group (88.2% vs. 75.3%; P < 0.05). Compared with the D5 blastocysts, the D6 blastocysts exhibited comparable dysmorphisms except for the multinucleation at the 4-cell stage (10.9% vs. 2.9%, P < 0.05). Moreover, D6 blastocysts had considerably slower developmental kinetics and poorer blastocyst morphologies. Further analysis confirmed that the LB rate was not associated with developmental kinetics or dysmorphisms but rather with blastocyst morphology (inner cell mass [ICM] grade ≤ C vs. ICM grade A, adjusted OR = 0.155, 95% CI = 0.04-0.596, P < 0.05; trophectoderm [TE] grade ≤ C vs. TE grade A, adjusted OR = 0.157, 95% CI = 0.032-0.760, P < 0.05). In conclusion, D6 implanted blastocysts have a considerably lower LB rate than D5 implanted blastocysts. As determined by TL monitoring, the diminished blastocyst morphology can be one of the primary reasons underlying the decreased likelihood of LB.

Chromosomal, gestational, and neonatal outcomes of embryos classified as a mosaic by preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the clinical risks associated with the transfer of embryos classified as a mosaic using preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. DESIGN: Analysis of data collected between 2017 and 2023. SETTING: Multicenter. PATIENTS: Patients of infertility treatment. INTERVENTION: Comparison of pregnancies resulting from embryos classified as euploid or mosaic using the 20%-80% interval in chromosomal intermediate copy numbers to define a mosaic result. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of spontaneous abortion, birth weight, length of gestation, incidence of birth defects, and chromosomal status during gestation. RESULTS: Implanted euploid embryos had a significantly lower risk of spontaneous abortion compared with mosaic embryos (8.9% [n = 8,672; 95% confidence interval {CI95} 8.3, 9.5] vs. 22.2% [n = 914; CI95 19.6, 25.0]). Embryos with mosaicism affecting whole chromosomes (not segmental) had the highest risk of spontaneous abortion (27.6% [n = 395; CI95 23.2, 32.3]). Infants born from euploid, mosaic, and whole chromosome mosaic embryos had average birth weights and lengths of gestation that were not statistically different (3,118 g and 267 days [n = 488; CI95 3,067, 3,169, and 266, 268], 3052 g and 265 days [n = 488; CI95 2,993, 3,112, and 264,267], 3,159 g and 268 days [n = 194; CI95 3,070, 3,249, and 266,270], respectively). Out of 488 infants from mosaic embryo transfers (ETs), one had overt gross abnormalities as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most prenatal tests performed on pregnancies from mosaic ETs had normal results, and only three pregnancies produced prenatal test results reflecting the mosaicism detected at the embryonic stage (3 out of 250, 1.2%; CI95 0.25, 3.5). CONCLUSION: Although embryos classified as mosaic experience higher rates of miscarriage than euploid embryos (with a particularly high frequency shortly after implantation), infants born of mosaic ETs are similar to infants of euploid ETs. Prenatal testing indicates that mosaicism resolves during most pregnancies, although this process is not perfectly efficient. In a small percentage of cases, the mosaicism persists through gestation. These findings can serve as risk-benefit considerations for mosaic ETs in the fertility clinic.

Association between maternal anemia and stunting in infants and children aged 0-60 months: A systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Maternal anemia is a worldwide health issue and a common pregnancy complication. It leads to consequences including infant mortality, low birth weight, preterm birth, unrecoverable or partially reversible neurobehavioral and cognitive deficits, and short birth length. However, the relationship between maternal anemia and stunting in children is not well defined. This systematic literature review sought to determine whether maternal anemia was associated with height or length and stunting conditions in infants and children ages 0-60 mo in cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies carried out in several countries. METHODS: A systematic review was performed on articles published from 2014-2021 related to maternal anemia and stunting. The electronic databases used were ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Google Search, and AJOG (American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology). The literature search was performed up to December 7, 2021. RESULTS: Twelve studies were included. Nine studies examined the correlation between maternal anemia and length or weight in children. Seven of the nine studies showed an association between maternal anemia and stunting in children; the others showed an association between maternal anemia and birth length. Three studies found no association between maternal anemia and stunting in children under age 5 y. CONCLUSIONS: The current review emphasizes that stunting in children may be associated with maternal anemia, specifically in developing countries. This implies that it is crucial to prevent anemia in adolescent girls and women before and during pregnancy as a part of programs to eliminate stunting in children.

Comparison of clinical outcome between day 5 and day 6 single blastocyst transfers in cycles undergoing preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy.

OBJECTIVE: In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment has gradually adopted the practice of culturing embryos until the blastocyst stage on the D5 or D6 as the standard approach. PGT-A is commonly used in vitro fertilization (IVF). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of frozen embryo transfers (FETs) using single blastocyst transfers (SBTs) on the fifth (D5) or sixth (D6) day of development in cycles that underwent preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients who had at least one euploid or mosaic blastocyst of good quality determined by PGT-A results and received single embryo transfer (SET) cycles were included in the study. In this study, the live birth rate (LBR) and neonatal outcomes were compared after the transfer of single biopsied D5 and D6 blastocysts in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles. RESULTS: A total of 527 frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer (FET) cycles (8449 biopsied embryos were analyzed). No significant difference in the implantation rate (IR), clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), and live birth rate (LBR) between the transfers of D5 and D6 blastocysts. Birth weight was the only perinatal outcome that showed a significant difference between the D5 and D6 groups. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that the transfer of a single euploid or mosaic blastocyst, regardless of whether it was on the fifth (D5) or sixth (D6) day of development, can lead to promising clinical results.

Food security and diet quality among urban poor adolescents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the food security status of urban poor adolescents and its association with diet quality. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 188 adolescents aged 13-18 yrs living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Household food insecurity and dietary intake data were collected using the Radimer/Cornell hunger and food insecurity instrument and 2-day 24-h dietary recalls, respectively. Diet quality was determined using the Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Weight and height were measured and body mass index-for-age, as well as height-for-age z scores were calculated. RESULTS: The present study revealed that 47.9% of the adolescents experienced household food insecurity, 24.5% experienced individual food insecurity, 18.6% household food security, and 9.0% child hunger. The mean score of diet quality was 56.83 ± 10.09, with a significantly lower HEI score among food insecure adolescents (household food insecure, individual food insecure, and child hunger) than household food secure adolescents (P = 0.001). The differences between food secure and food insecure households were found to be significant for energy (P = 0.001) and nutrients including proteins (P = 0.006), carbohydrates (P = 0.005), dietary fiber (P = 0.001), folate (P < 0.001), and vitamin C (P = 0.006). The multiple linear regression showed that adolescents who experienced food insecurity (ß = -0.328; P = 0.003) were found to be significantly associated with poor diet quality (F = 2.726; P < 0.01), wherein 13.3% of the variation in the diet quality was explained by the food security status. CONCLUSIONS: Experiencing food insecurity contributed to poor diet quality among urban poor adolescents. Further longitudinal studies are needed to comprehensively understand this association to improve food insecurity and diet quality among urban poor communities.

Optimized concurrent hearing and genetic screening in Beijing, China: A cross-sectional study.

Concurrent screening has been proven to provide a comprehensive approach for management of congenital deafness and prevention of ototoxicity. The SLC26A4 gene is associated with late-onset hearing loss and is of great clinical concern. For much earlier detection of newborns with deafness-causing mutations in the SLC26A4 gene, the Beijing Municipal Government launched a chip for optimized genetic screening of 15 variants of 4 genes causing deafness based on a chip to screen for 9 variants of 4 genes, and 6 variants of the SLC26A4 gene have now been added. To ascertain the advantage of a screening chip including 15 variants of 4 genes, the trends in concurrent hearing and genetic screening were analyzed in 2019 and 2020. Subjects were 76,460 newborns who underwent concurrent hearing and genetic screening at 24 maternal and child care centers in Beijing from January 2019 to December 2020. Hearing screening was conducted using transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), or the automated auditory brainstem response (AABR). Dried blood spots were collected for genetic testing and 15 variants of 4 genes, namely GJB2, SLC26A4, mtDNA 12S rRNA, and GJB3, were screened for using a DNA microarray platform. The initial referral rate for hearing screening decreased from 3.60% (1,502/41,690) in 2019 to 3.23% (1,124/34,770) in 2020, and the total referral rate for hearing screening dropped form 0.57% (236/41,690) in 2019 to 0.54% (187/34,770) in 2020, indicating the reduced false positive rate of newborn hearing screening and policies to prevent hearing loss conducted by the Beijing Municipal Government have had a significant effect. Positivity according to genetic screening was similar in 2019 (4.970%, 2,072/41,690) and 2020 (4.863%,1,691/34,770), and the most frequent mutant alleles were c.235 del C in the GJB2 gene, followed by c.919-2 A > G in the SLC26A4 gene, and c.299 del AT in the GJB2 gene. In this cohort study, 71.43% (5/7) of newborns with 2 variants of the SLC26A4 gene were screened for newly added mutations, and 28.57% (2/7) of newborns with 2 variants of the SLC26A4 gene passed hearing screening, suggesting that a screening chip including 15 variants of 4 genes was superior at early detection of hearing loss, and especially in early identification of newborns with deafness-causing mutations in the SLC26A4 gene. These findings have clinical significance.

The presence of vacuoles in blastocysts is negatively associated with euploidy and live birth rates.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the presence of vacuoles in biopsied blastocysts is associated with the likelihood of aneuploidy and clinical outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: A single reproductive center. INTERVENTION(S): None. PATIENT(S): This study retrospectively analyzed data obtained through preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy performed on 3351 blastocysts from 826 patients at a single reproductive center between August 2018 and July 2020. Ultimately, 167 single euploid blastocyst transfers were performed in these patients. Vacuoles existing in the trophectoderm or inner cell mass were observed using blastocyst biopsy. After the biopsy, all blastocysts were vitrified, and embryo transfer was performed in a subsequent treatment cycle. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The associations between vacuoles and euploidy or live birth rates were assessed using logistic regression models and estimated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULT(S): Of the 3351 blastocysts from 826 patients, 903 (26.9%) were discovered to have vacuoles. The vacuole-positive group had a significantly lower percentage of euploid blastocysts after TE biopsy than the vacuole-negative group (28.8% vs. 35.5%). Embryos with vacuoles were significantly more likely to be poor quality (30.6% vs. 18.2%). Logistic regression analyses revealed that euploid blastocysts were positively associated with the absence of vacuoles, maternal age, and good embryo quality (vacuole-negative group: adjusted OR 1.291; 95% CI: 1.089-1.530; age <38 years: adjusted OR 1.989; 95% CI: 1.692-2.337; good embryo quality: adjusted OR 1.703; 95% CI: 1.405-2.064). The implantation and live birth rates were significantly lower for the transferred single euploid blastocysts with vacuoles than those without (35.5% vs. 56.6%; 29.0% vs. 52.2%, respectively). The live birth rate was positively associated with the absence of vacuoles (adjusted OR 2.792; 95% CI: 1.180-6.608). CONCLUSION(S): The formation of vacuoles in blastocysts is associated with lower rates of euploidy and live birth. Blastocysts without vacuoles should thus be prioritized for embryo transfer in vitro fertilization cycles.

Structure bionic topology design method based on biological unit cell.

The mechanical structure topology design based on substructure always adopts the traditional substructure design method, which often comes from the experience and is limited by the inherent or stereotyped design thinking. A substructure design method based on biological unit cell (UC) is proposed, which draws inspiration from the biological efficient load-bearing topology structure. Especially, the thought of the formalized problem-solving of extension matter-element is introduced. Through the matter-element definition of UC substructure, the process model for the structure bionic topology design method based on biological UC is formed, which avoids the random or wild mental stimulation of the structure topology design method based on traditional substructure. In particular, in this proposed method, aiming at the problem about how to achieve the integration of high-efficiency load-bearing advantage of different organisms, furthermore, a biological UC hybridization method based on the principle of inventive problem solving theory (TRIZ) is proposed. The typical case is used to illustrate the process of this method in detail. The results from simulations and experiments both show that: the load-bearing capacity of structure design based on biology UC is improved than the initial design; on this basis, the load-bearing capacity of structure design is improved further through UC hybridization. All these show the feasibility and correctness of the proposed method.