Interlayer Potassium Single-Atom-Coordinated g-C3N4 for Significantly Boosted Visible Light Photocatalytic H2 Production.

In recent years, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has attracted considerable attention because it includes earth-abundant carbon and nitrogen elements and exhibits good chemical and thermal stability owing to the strong covalent interaction in its conjugated layer structure. However, bulk g-C3N4 has some disadvantages of low specific surface area, poor light absorption, rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, and insufficient active sites, which hinder its practical applications. In this study, we design and synthesize potassium single-atom (K SAs)-doped g-C3N4 porous nanosheets (CM-KX, where X represents the mass of KHP added) via supramolecular self-assembling and chemical cross-linking copolymerization strategies. The results show that the utilization of supramolecules as precursors can produce g-C3N4 nanosheets with reduced thickness, increased surface area, and abundant mesopores. In addition, the intercalation of K atoms within the g-C3N4 nitrogen pots through the formation of K-N bonds results in the reduction of the band gap and expansion of the visible-light absorption range. The optimized K-doped CM-K12 nanosheets achieve a specific surface area of 127 m2 g-1, which is 11.4 times larger than that of the pristine g-C3N4 nanosheets. Furthermore, the optimal CM-K12 sample exhibits the maximum H2 production rate of 127.78 µmol h-1 under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm), which is nearly 23 times higher than that of bare g-C3N4. This significant improvement of photocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effects of the mesoporous structure and K SAs doping, which effectively increase the specific surface area, improve the visible-light absorption capacity, and facilitate the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Besides, the optimal sample shows good chemical stability for 20 h in the recycling experiments. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the introduction of K SAs significantly boosts the adsorption energy for water and decreases the activation energy barrier for the reduction of water to hydrogen.

In Situ Sprayed Exosome-Cross-Linked Gel as Artificial Lymph Nodes for Postoperative Glioblastoma Immunotherapy.

One key challenge in postoperative glioblastoma immunotherapy is to guarantee a potent and durable T-cell response, which is restricted by the immunosuppressive microenvironment within the lymph nodes (LNs). Here, we develop an in situ sprayed exosome-cross-linked gel that acts as an artificial LN structure to directly activate the tumor-infiltrating T cells for prevention of glioma recurrence. Briefly, this gel is generated by a bio-orthogonal reaction between azide-modified chimeric exosomes and alkyne-modified alginate polymers. Particularly, these chimeric exosomes are generated from dendritic cell (DC)-tumor hybrid cells, allowing for direct and robust T-cell activation. The gel structure with chimeric exosomes as cross-linking points avoids the quick clearance by the immune system and thus prolongs the durability of antitumor T-cell immunity. Importantly, this exosome-containing immunotherapeutic gel provides chances for ameliorating functions of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) through accommodating different intracellular-acting adjuvants, such as stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists. This further enhances the antitumor T-cell response, resulting in the almost complete elimination of residual lesions after surgery. Our findings provide a promising strategy for postsurgical glioma immunotherapy that warrants further exploration in the clinical arena.

Safety and clinical efficacy of double posterolateral coaxial portals for endoscopic management of posterior ankle impingement syndrome.

Background: This study aims to analyze the safety and clinical efficacy of using double posterolateral coaxial portals for endoscopic treatment of posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS), a procedure that has gained popularity in recent times. Methods: Six fresh foot samples were randomly selected to measure the distances of two posterolateral portals to the sural nerve in different positions (plantar flexion 10°, dorsiflexion 30°, and plantar flexion 30°) for safety evaluation. A prospective analysis was conducted on the clinical efficacy of the operative approach for endoscopic management of posterior ankle impingement syndrome, including evaluation of effectiveness and complications. Results: In this study, the mean distances of the first and second portals to the sural nerve were measured in different ankle positions. The distances were found to be 2.26 ± 0.22 cm and 1.59 ± 0.12 cm in the plantar flexion 10° position, 2.21 ± 0.21 cm and 1.55 ± 0.12 cm in the dorsiflexion 30° position, and 2.46 ± 0.29 cm and 1.73 ± 0.19 cm in the plantar flexion 30° position, demonstrating a significant safety margin from the nerve. A total of 38 patients underwent endoscopic treatment for posterior ankle impingement syndrome using double posterolateral coaxial portals between January 2012 and December 2017. This surgical approach provided access to the subtalar joint and posterior ankle region. The patients were followed up for an average of 38.2 months (24-72 months), with a satisfaction rate of 94.7%. There were no reported complications, and significant improvements were observed in both visual analogue scale (VAS) and The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society Score (AOFAS) scores postoperatively. The VAS score decreased from 5.68 to 0.51 (P < 0.001), while the AOFAS score increased from 71.68 to 92.34 (P < 0.001), resulting in an excellent/good rate of 97.3%. Conclusion: The use of double posterolateral coaxial portals in the treatment of posterior ankle impingement syndrome offers several advantages, including improved safety, reduced risk of nerve injury, enhanced visualization of the posterior ankle and subtalar joint, favorable clinical outcomes, and minimal complications.

From gut to brain: understanding the role of microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease.

With the proposal of the "biological-psychological-social" model, clinical decision-makers and researchers have paid more attention to the bidirectional interactive effects between psychological factors and diseases. The brain-gut-microbiota axis, as an important pathway for communication between the brain and the gut, plays an important role in the occurrence and development of inflammatory bowel disease. This article reviews the mechanism by which psychological disorders mediate inflammatory bowel disease by affecting the brain-gut-microbiota axis. Research progress on inflammatory bowel disease causing "comorbidities of mind and body" through the microbiota-gut-brain axis is also described. In addition, to meet the needs of individualized treatment, this article describes some nontraditional and easily overlooked treatment strategies that have led to new ideas for "psychosomatic treatment".

BmSPP is a virus resistance gene in Bombyx mori.

Introduction: Signal peptide peptidase (SPP) is an intramembrane protease involved in a variety of biological processes, it participates in the processing of signal peptides after the release of the nascent protein to regulate the endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD) pathway, binds misfolded membrane proteins, and aids in their clearance process. Additionally, it regulates normal immune surveillance and assists in the processing of viral proteins. Although SPP is essential for many viral infections, its role in silkworms remains unclear. Studying its role in the silkworm, Bombyx mori , may be helpful in breeding virus-resistant silkworms. Methods: First, we performed RT-qPCR to analyze the expression pattern of BmSPP. Subsequently, we inhibited BmSPP using the SPP inhibitor 1,3-di-(N-carboxybenzoyl-L-leucyl-L-leucylaminopropanone ((Z-LL)2-ketone) and downregulated the expression of BmSPP using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Furthermore, we assessed the impact of these interventions on the proliferation of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). Results: We observed a decreased in the expression of BmSPP during viral proliferation. It was found that higher concentration of the inhibitor resulted in greater inhibition of BmNPV proliferation. The down-regulation of BmSPP in both in vivo and in vitro was found to affect the proliferation of BmNPV. In comparison to wild type silkworm, BmSPPKO silkworms exhibited a 12.4% reduction in mortality rate. Discussion: Collectively, this work demonstrates that BmSPP plays a negative regulatory role in silkworm resistance to BmNPV infection and is involved in virus proliferation and replication processes. This finding suggests that BmSPP servers as a target gene for BmNPV virus resistance in silkworms and can be utilized in resistance breeding programs.

Type 2 cannabinoid receptor expression on microglial cells regulates neuroinflammation during graft versus host disease.

Neuroinflammation is a recognized complication of immunotherapeutic approaches such as immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, chimeric antigen receptor therapy, and graft versus host disease (GVHD) occurring after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. While T cells and inflammatory cytokines play a role in this process, the precise interplay between the adaptive and innate arms of the immune system that propagates inflammation in the central nervous system remains incompletely understood. Using a murine model of GVHD, we demonstrate that type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R) signaling plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of neuroinflammation. In these studies, we identify that CB2R expression on microglial cells induces an activated inflammatory phenotype which potentiates the accumulation of donor-derived proinflammatory T cells, regulates chemokine gene regulatory networks, and promotes neuronal cell death. Pharmacological targeting of this receptor with a brain penetrant CB2R inverse agonist/antagonist selectively reduces neuroinflammation without deleteriously affecting systemic GVHD severity. Thus, these findings delineate a therapeutically targetable neuroinflammatory pathway and has implications for the attenuation of neurotoxicity after GVHD and potentially other T cell-based immunotherapeutic approaches.

Metal-organic polymer enables efficient organic photoelectrochemical transistor biosensing.

The field of organic photoelectrochemical transistor (OPECT) is newly emerged, with increasing efforts attempting to utilize its properties in biological sensing. Advanced materials with new physicochemical properties have proven important to this end. Herein, we report a metal-organic polymers-gated OPECT biosensing exemplified by CuⅠ-arylacetylide polymers (CuAs)-modulated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) channel. Both the photoelectrochemical properties and gating capability of CuAs are explored and optimized for high-efficacy photogating. Morever, based on its inherent structure, the specific reaction between CuAs and sulfur ions (S2-) is revealed and S2--mediated microRNA-21 detection is realized by linking with nucleic acid amplification and alkaline phosphatase catalytic chemistry. This work introduces metal-organic polymers as gating materials for OPECT biosensing.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals nicotine metabolism is a critical component for enhancing stress response intensity of innate immunity system in tobacco.

The pyridine alkaloid nicotine acts as one of best-studied plant resistant traits in tobacco. Previous research has shown that NtERF199 and NtERF189, acting as master regulators within the NIC1 and NIC2 locus, quantitatively contribute to nicotine accumulation levels in N. tabacum. Genome editing-created Nic1(Nterf199) and Nic2 (Nterf189) double mutant provides an ideal platform for precisely dissecting the defensive role of nicotine and the connection between the nicotine biosynthetic pathway with other putative metabolic networks. Taking this advantage, we performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis to reevaluate the potential physiological and metabolic changes in response to nicotine synthesis defect by comparing the nic1nic2 and NIC1NIC2 plants. Our findings revealed that nicotine reduction could systematically diminishes the expression intensities of genes associated with stimulus perception, signal transduction and regulation, as well as secondary metabolic flux. Consequently, this global expression reduction might compromise tobacco adaptions to environmental fitness, herbivore resistances, and plant growth and development. The up-regulation of a novel set of stress-responsive and metabolic pathway genes might signify a newly established metabolic reprogramming to tradeoff the detrimental effect of nicotine loss. These results offer additional compelling evidence regarding nicotine's critical defensive role in nature and highlights the tight link between nicotine biosynthesis and gene expression levels of quantitative resistance-related genes for better environmental adaptation.

Dual Engine Boosts Organic Photoelectrochemical Transistor for Enhanced Modulation and Bioanalysis.

Organic photoelectrochemical transistor (OPECT) has shown substantial potential in the development of next-generation bioanalysis yet is limited by the either-or situation between the photoelectrode types and the channel types. Inspired by the dual-photoelectrode systems, we propose a new architecture of dual-engine OPECT for enhanced signal modulation and its biosensing application. Exemplified by incorporating the CdS/Bi2S3 photoanode and Cu2O photocathode within the gate-source circuit of Ag/AgCl-gated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) channel, the device shows enhanced modulation capability and larger transconductance (gm) against the single-photoelectrode ones. Moreover, the light irritation upon the device effectively shifts the peak value of gm to zero gate voltage without degradation and generates larger current steps that are advantageous for the sensitive bioanalysis. Based on the as-developed dual-photoelectrode OPECT, target-mediated recycling and etching reactions are designed upon the CdS/Bi2S3, which could result in dual signal amplification and realize the sensitive microRNA-155 biodetection with a linear range from 1 fM to 100 pM and a lower detection limit of 0.12 fM.

Transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals PRV XJ delgE/gI/TK protects intracranially infected mice from death by regulating the inflammation.

Pseudorabies virus can cause inflammation in the central nervous system and neurological symptoms. To further investigate the protective mechanism of PRV XJ delgE/gI/TK in the central nervous system, an intracranial PRV-infection mice model was developed. The results demonstrated that immunization with PRV XJ delgE/gI/TK successfully prevented death caused by PRV-intracranial infection. Subsequently, the brains were collected for transcriptome and metabolome analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes were primarily enriched in pathways such as TNF, NOD-like receptor, JAK-STAT, MAPK, IL-17 and apoptosis signaling. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the differential metabolites were mainly associated with pathways such as fatty acid degradation, arachidonic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. The combined analysis of metabolites and differentially expressed genes revealed a strong correlation between the differential metabolites and TNF, PI3K, and MAPK signaling pathways. Anti-inflammatory metabolites have been shown to inhibit the inflammatory response and prevent mouse death caused by PRV infection. Notably, when glutathione was injected intracranially and dihydroartemisinin was injected intraperitoneally, complete protection against PRV-induced death in mice was observed. Moreover, PRV activates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that PRV XJ delgE/gI/TK can protects intracranially infected mice from death by regulating various metabolites with anti-inflammatory functions post-immunization.

Efficacy of microwave ablation in the treatment of large benign thyroid nodules: a multi-center study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and improvement of symptoms by ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) for patients with large benign thyroid nodules (BTNs). METHODS: Eighty-seven patients with 87 BTNs (≥ 4 cm) treated with MWA between April 2015 and March 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective multicenter study, with clinical and ultrasound examinations performed at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months. A multivariable linear mixed effects model was employed to explore the alterations in volume and volume reduction ratio (VRR), as well as the potential factors associated with VRR. RESULTS: The mean age of the 87 patients was 45.69 ± 14.21 years (range 18-76 years), and the ratio of men to women was 1:4.8. The mean volumes were much decreased at the 12th month after ablation compared to the initial volumes (p < .001). The mean VRR was 76.09% at the 12th month. The technique efficacy (VRR > 50%) was 90.80% at the 12th month. A multivariate analysis revealed that VRR was related to the initial volume (p = .015), annular flow (p = .010), and nodule composition (p = .024). The mean symptomatic score decreased from 4.40 ± 0.28 to 0.26 ± 0.06 at the 12th month (p < .001). At the same time, the mean cosmetic score decreased from 3.22 ± 0.10 to 1.31 ± 0.08 (p < .001). CONCLUSION: MWA could serve as a safe and effective therapy for large BTNs, significantly reducing the volume of BTNs and significantly improving compressive symptoms and appearance problems. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Microwave ablation could serve as a safe and effective therapy for large benign thyroid nodules, leading to significant volume reduction and satisfied symptom and cosmetic alleviation period. KEY POINTS: • This multicenter study investigated the feasibility and safety of microwave ablation for large benign thyroid nodules. • After ablation, the nodule volume was significantly reduced, and patients' symptoms and appearance problems were significantly improved. • Microwave ablation is feasible for large benign thyroid nodules and has been a supplement treatment.

Establishment and application of Agrobacterium-delivered CRISPR/Cas9 system for wild tobacco (Nicotiana alata) genome editing.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) system has been widely applied in cultivated crops, but limited in their wild relatives. Nicotiana alata is a typical wild species of genus Nicotiana that is globally distributed as a horticultural plant and well-studied as a self-incompatibility model. It also has valuable genes for disease resistance and ornamental traits. However, it lacks an efficient genetic transformation and genome editing system, which hampers its gene function and breeding research. In this study, we developed an optimized hypocotyl-mediated transformation method for CRISPR-Cas9 delivery. The genetic transformation efficiency was significantly improved from approximately 1% to over 80%. We also applied the CRISPR-Cas9 system to target the phytoene desaturase (NalaPDS) gene in N. alata and obtained edited plants with PDS mutations with over 50% editing efficiency. To generate self-compatible N. alata lines, a polycistronic tRNA-gRNA (PTG) strategy was used to target exonic regions of allelic S-RNase genes and generate targeted knockouts simultaneously. We demonstrated that our system is feasible, stable, and high-efficiency for N. alata genome editing. Our study provides a powerful tool for basic research and genetic improvement of N. alata and an example for other wild tobacco species.

Combining an Electrochemical Continuous Glucose Sensor With an Insulin Delivery Cannula: A Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Combining a continuous glucose monitor with an insulin delivery cannula (CGM-IS) could benefit clinical outcomes. We evaluated the feasibility of a single-needle insertion electrochemical investigational CGM-IS (Pacific Diabetes Technologies, Portland, Oregon) in type 1 diabetes adults. METHODS: Following 48 hours run-in using a Medtronic 780G in manual mode with a commercial insulin set, 12 participants commenced insulin delivery using the CGM-IS. A standardized test meal was eaten on the mornings of days 1 and 4. Venous samples were collected every 10 minutes one hour prior to and 15 minutes post-meal for four hours. CGM-IS glucose measurements were post-processed with a single capillary blood calibration during warm-up and benchmarked against YSI. A Dexcom G6 sensor was worn post-consent to study end. RESULTS: Mean absolute relative difference (MARD) for the CGM-IS glucose measurements was 9.2% (484 paired data points). Consensus error grid revealed 88.6% within zone A and 100% in A + B. Mean (SD) % bias was -3.5 (11.7) %. There were 35 paired YSI readings <100 mg/dL cutoff and 449 ≥100 mg/dL with 81.4% within ±15 mg/dL or ±15%, and 89.9% within ±20 mg/dL or ±20%. Two cannula occlusions required discontinuation of insulin delivery: one at 70 hours post insertion and another during the day 4 meal test. Mean (SD) Dexcom glucose measurements during run-in and between meal tests was respectively 161.3 ± 27.3 mg/dL versus 158.0 ± 25.6 mg/dL; P = .39 and corresponding mean total daily insulin delivered by the pump was 58.0 ± 25.4 Units versus 57.1 ± 28.8 Units; P = .47. CONCLUSIONS: Insulin delivery and glucose sensing with the investigational CGM-IS was feasible. Longer duration studies are needed.

"You can hide it if you want to, you can let it be seen if you want to": A qualitative study of the lived experiences of Australian adults with type 1 diabetes using the Omnipod DASH® system.

AIMS: Understanding the lived experience of using a tubeless insulin pump and how this differs compared to usual care (tubed insulin pump therapy (IPT) vs multiple daily injections (MDI)). METHODS: Interviews were conducted after 12-weeks of using the Omnipod DASH Insulin Management System (Insulet, Acton, MA) and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-eight adults (35 female; mean age 42;SD 13 years; 35 previous MDI) were interviewed. Most (84 %) wanted to continue using the device. Experiences fit two themes: 1. Taking back control of my diabetes: many previous MDI users perceived improved glycaemic control, explained by more "nuanced" control, with some reporting positive effects during exercise and sleep. Many previous MDI and IPT users endorsed positive experiences in concealing or disclosing their diabetes to others. However, some previous MDI users reported negative psychosocial experiences due to feeling continuously "attached" to their diabetes. 2. Barriers and facilitators of device acceptability: both MDI and IPT users cited wearability, alarms and the financial cost impacted their choice to continue device use. IPT users reported positive wearability experiences. CONCLUSIONS: The tubeless pump improved diabetes management perceptions for both MDI and tubed pump users. However, participants' prior glucose management affected perceptions of its advantages and disadvantages.

[Research progress on development and utilization of minor ginsenosides].

Minor ginsenosides are a class of processed saponins with minor natural content, high bioavailability, and outstanding bio-logical activity, which are usually obtained by biological or chemical transformation of prototype saponins directly extracted from Panax plants. In recent years, with the clarification of the biosynthetic pathway of saponins and the development of synthetic biology, it has become possible to use synthetic metabolic engineering methods with microorganisms as hosts to produce saponins. Minor ginsenosides have received widespread attention because of their remarkable biological activities in enhancing the immune function of the body and antitumor property. At present, most of the reviews on minor ginsenosides focus on transformation preparation, process optimization, and pharmacological activity, but there are some deficiencies in industrial analysis. This study summarized structural types, pharmacological activities, sources of acquisition, and transformation pathways of minor ginsenosides based on the relevant literature in China and abroad, proposed problems in the preparation of existing minor ginsenosides, and discussed the future research and utilization prospects, to provide a theoretical basis for improving the basic research of minor ginsenosides and promoting their industrialization.

TPA: Two-stage progressive attention segmentation framework for hepatocellular carcinoma on multi-modality MRI.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and measurement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The multi-modality information contained in the multi-phase images of DCE-MRI is important for improving segmentation. However, this remains a challenging task due to the heterogeneity of HCC, which may cause one HCC lesion to have varied imaging appearance in each phase of DCE-MRI. In particular, some phases exhibit inconsistent sizes and boundaries will result in a lack of correlation between modalities, and it may pose inaccurate segmentation results. PURPOSE: We aim to design a multi-modality segmentation model that can learn meaningful inter-phase correlation for achieving HCC segmentation. METHODS: In this study, we propose a two-stage progressive attention segmentation framework (TPA) for HCC based on the transformer and the decision-making process of radiologists. Specifically, the first stage aims to fuse features from multi-phase images to identify HCC and provide localization region. In the second stage, a multi-modality attention transformer module (MAT) is designed to focus on the features that can represent the actual size. RESULTS: We conduct training, validation, and test in a single-center dataset (386 cases), followed by external test on a batch of multi-center datasets (83 cases). Furthermore, we analyze a subgroup of data with weak inter-phase correlation in the test set. The proposed model achieves Dice coefficient of 0.822 and 0.772 in the internal and external test sets, respectively, and 0.829, 0.791 in the subgroup. The experimental results demonstrate that our model outperforms state-of-the-art models, particularly within subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed TPA provides best segmentation results, and utilizing clinical prior knowledge for network design is practical and feasible.

Hidden diversity of Pestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis (Amphisphaeriales, Sporocadaceae) species allied with the stromata of entomopathogenic fungi in Taiwan.

Pestalotiopsissensu lato, commonly referred to as pestalotiopsis-like fungi, exhibit a broad distribution and are frequently found as endophytes, saprobes and pathogens across various plant hosts. The taxa within pestalotiopsis-like fungi are classified into three genera viz. Pestalotiopsis, Pseudopestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis, based on the conidial colour of their median cells and multi-locus molecular phylogenies. In the course of a biodiversity investigation focusing on pestalotiopsis-like fungi, a total of 12 fungal strains were identified. These strains were found to be associated with stromata of Beauveria, Ophiocordyceps and Tolypocladium in various regions of Taiwan from 2018 to 2021. These strains were evaluated morphologically and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of the ITS (internal transcribed spacer), tef1-α (translation elongation factor 1-α) and tub2 (beta-tubulin) gene regions were conducted for genotyping. The results revealed seven well-classified taxa and one tentative clade in Pestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis. One novel species, Pestalotiopsismanyueyuanani and four new records, N.camelliae-oleiferae, N.haikouensis, P.chamaeropis and P.hispanica, were reported for the first time in Taiwan. In addition, P.formosana and an unclassified strain of Neopestalotiopsis were identified, based on similarities of phylogeny and morphology. However, the data obtained in the present study suggest that the currently recommended loci for species delimitation of pestalotiopsis-like fungi do not deliver reliable or adequate resolution of tree topologies. The in-vitro mycelial growth rates of selected strains from these taxa had an optimum temperature of 25 °C, but growth ceased at 5 °C and 35 °C, while all the strains grew faster under alkaline than acidic or neutral pH conditions. This study provides the first assessment of pestalotiopsis-like fungi, associated with entomopathogenic taxa.

Treatment satisfaction with Omnipod DASH in adults with type 1 diabetes: A non-blinded 1:1 randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: We compared treatment satisfaction with a tubeless insulin pump (Omnipod DASH® Insulin Management System) to usual care (multiple daily injections [MDI] or tubed insulin pump therapy [IPT]) in adults with type 1 diabetes using self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Adults with type 1 diabetes on MDI (n = 40) or IPT (n = 25) from four diabetes centers in Australia were randomized in a 1:1 non-blinded manner to Omnipod DASH System (Omnipod group) or continue usual care (Usual Care group) for 12 weeks, followed by a further 12-week extension where all participants used the device. The primary outcome was treatment satisfaction assessed by change in Diabetes Technology Questionnaire 'current' (ΔDTQ-current) score at 12-weeks (study-end). Secondary outcomes included ΔDTQ-current following extension and other participant-reported outcomes (PROs) measuring quality of life, burden of disease treatment, glycemic and device-related outcomes at 12-weeks (study-end) and 24-weeks (end-extension). RESULTS: Treatment satisfaction improved more in Omnipod group vs. Usual Care group (ΔDTQ-current score of 16.4 [21.2] vs. 0.0 [12.8]; p < 0.001) at study-end. Significantly greater improvements in other PROs and HbA1c were also observed. Improvements in DTQ-current and other PROs comparing study-end and end-extension were similar. While %TIR change from baseline did not differ at study-end (-2.0 [12.7] %), it was significantly greater at end-extension (5.6 [10.9] %; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Omnipod DASH System resulted in greater treatment satisfaction at 12 weeks in adults with type 1 diabetes using SMBG which was sustained after 24 weeks of device use without compromising sleep quality and fear of hypoglycemia. Improvements in glycemia were also observed.