Accumulation Of Products Research Articles

RSD-based high-performance radix-4 Montgomery Modular Multiplication for Elliptic Curve Cryptography

This paper proposes a high-performance radix-4 Montgomery Modular Multiplication (MMM) algorithm and its corresponding hardware architecture for Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), in which the quotient and the partial product accumulation are computed in parallel in each iteration. Additionally, in this MMM, the Redundant Signed Digit (RSD) representation and the Signed Digit Adder (SDA) are used to eliminate the long carry chain and achieve parallel computation, as well as remove pre-computation and integrate modular reduction operations. Our MMM algorithm is implemented in 256-bit and 1024-bit versions on Xilinx Virtex-6 and Virtex-7 FPGAs, respectively. It consumes only 1.55k/10.18k Look-Up Tables (LUTs), takes 133/517 clock cycles, and runs at maximum frequencies of 558.8/641.7 MHz. According to the comparison in terms of Area Time Product (ATP), our design can achieve the ATP of 0.369 over the 256-bit NIST prime domain, which is approximately half of that of the state-of-the-art works. The Scalar Point Multiplication (SPM) scheme using this MMM algorithm consumes 14.19k LUTs and completes a single Scalar Point Multiplication (SPM) operation in 0.217 ms, and it also has a lower ATP than most other SPM algorithms currently in existence.

Association of diabetic retinopathy with plasma atherosclerotic index, visceral obesity index, and lipid accumulation products: NHANES 2005–2008

BackgroundAbdominal obesity, a significant risk factor for the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR), may lead to improved visual outcomes through early assessment. This study aims to evaluate any potential associations between DR and novel lipid metabolism markers, including the Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP), Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), and Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP).MethodsThis study aimed to elucidate the association between various lipid markers and DR by screening the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database in the United States from 2005 to 2008. To examine the correlation, multifactor logistic regression analysis, subgroup analysis, threshold effect analysis, interaction test, and smooth curve fitting were used.ResultsAmong the 2591 participants included, the incidence of DR was 13.6% and the mean age was 59.55 ± 12.26 years. After adjusting for important confounding covariates, logistic regression studies suggested a possible positive association between LAP, VAI, AIP, and DR occurrence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.004; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.002, 1.006; P < 0.0001; [OR] = 1.090; 95% [CI]: 1.037, 1.146; P = 0.0007; [OR] = 1.802; 95% [CI]: 1.240, 2.618; P = 0.0020). The nonlinear association between LAP and DR was further illustrated using an S-shaped curve by smoothing curve fitting, with the inflection point of the curve located at 63.4. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were performed with full variable adjustment (P > 0.05 for all interactions).ConclusionStudies have shown that elevated levels of LAP, VAI, and AIP increase the likelihood of DR, suggesting that they have the potential to be predictive markers of DR, emphasizing their potential utility in risk assessment and prevention strategies, and advocating for early intervention to mitigate the likelihood of DR.

Lipid Accumulation Product Is Predictive of Cardiovascular Hospitalizations among Patients with Stable Ischemic Heart Disease: Long-Term Follow-Up of the LAERTES Study.

(1) Background: Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is an anthropometric index of abdominal adiposity that has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. We aimed to explore the association of LAP with cardiovascular hospitalizations and compare its predictive accuracy with other indices such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. (2) Methods: LAERTES was a prospective, population-based cohort that recruited consecutive patients with stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) from two Greek hospitals in Athens. Data from 770 participants (13% women, median age 62 years) with a median follow-up of 4.3 years were analyzed in relation to the occurrence of adverse cardiovascular events mandating hospital admission (non-fatal myocardial infarction [MI], non-fatal ischemic stroke and malignant ventricular arrhythmias). (3) Results: A total of 127 (16.5%) of the participants were admitted to cardiology clinics over the follow-up period; 12.4% of them developed MI, 2.6% ventricular arrhythmia and 1.5% ischemic stroke. Patients with cardiovascular hospitalization had higher BMI, larger waist circumference, higher LAP and triglycerides and lower HDL-cholesterol than patients without hospitalization. Upper LAP quartile and hypertension were independent predictors for cardiovascular hospitalization (HR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.12-4.34, p = 0.02 and HR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.03-2.39, p = 0.03, respectively). (4) Conclusions: Higher LAP quartiles are predictive of adverse cardiovascular events leading to hospital admission and deserve further evaluation in dedicated studies.

Growth potential, biochemical properties and nutrient removal efficiency of some freshwater microalgae and their consortia from wastewater

Impact of varying nitrate (NO3-N) and phosphate (PO4-P) concentrations and sewage water (SW) on the growth, nutrient removal, lipid accumulation, enzymatic antioxidant activity and phytochemical contents of the microalgae Scenedesmus dimorphus, Coelastrella tenuitheca, Chroococcus turgidus and Parachlorella kessleri under monoculture and their consortia have been investigated. High growth rates were observed for all the four algae in both mono and mixed culture conditions at enhanced concentrations of N (1500 mg/L NO3-N) and P (40 mg/L PO4-P). The species Scenedesmus dimorphus outperformed other microalgae growing in SW in efficiently removing nitrogen. The algal consortia of mixed species was found to be more effective in phosphorus removal. The carbohydrate and protein contents were highest in Parachlorella kessleri, about 37% and 44%, respectively, in SW cultivation. The algal consortia demonstrated highest starch content (4%) in nitrogen deprived growth medium. Highest lipid production (43%) was observed in the SW culture. The species Coelastrella tenuitheca, Chroococcus turgidus and Scenedesmus dimorphus irrespective of the growth media indicated significant accumulation of phenol, flavonoid and tannin. The DPPH, catalase and ascorbic peroxidase assay showed pronounced antioxidant activity. Nutrient (N and P) enrichment exhibited enhanced antioxidant enzymatic activity and accumulation of cell storage products.

Development of an automated system for the purification of alkanolamine solutions

The alkanolamine solutions used in natural gas purification processes are inevitably degraded over time. This occurs due to accumulation of reaction products from the reactions with carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, oxygen and other impurities present in the gas streams, as well as from thermal degradation. The degradation of solutions leads to the formation of thermostable compounds that not only reduce absorption efficiency, but also increase corrosive activity. Furthermore, part of the amine turns into a bound state and becomes ballast. The necessity of purification of alkanolamine solutions is becoming more and more urgent since the cost of maintaining efficient operation of gas treatment plants grows, and environmental safety requirements increase. Purification of solutions makes it possible to prolong their service life, reduce the cost of purchasing new reagents and reduce the negative impact on the equipment. In this work the method of anion-exchange technology of purification is used. Unlike vacuum distillation and electrodialysis, the considered technology does not require significant energy costs for generation and maintenance of vacuum, and heating of solutions, it can be easily integrated into the existing production process without any significant changes in the infrastructure. The described problem is relevant for Kazakhstan oil refineries, two of which use methyldiethanolamine, and one of which uses diethanolamine, and the existing practice of maintaining the operability of the systems is based on periodic replacement of part of the solution with pure amine. The development of automated systems for purification of such solutions makes it possible to significantly improve process control, minimise manual labour, and improve the overall economic efficiency of production.

Modelling of oxide fuel restructuring during first hours after a reactor reaches its power

There is a substantial amount of experimental data that confirm the peculiarity of the oxide fuel behavior during the first hours after a reactor reaches its power. With an increase in temperature during the said period, oxide fuel pellets crack because of a significant temperature gradient. Further developments occur due to the accumulation and redistribution of fission products, and manifest themselves as changes in the fuel matrix porosity and the formation (or diameter increase) of a central hole. The zones that differ in their microstructure, density and thermal conductivity are formed along the fuel pellet radius. As the oxide fuel composition and restructuring result in its thermal conductivity change, it is important to pay attention to the formulas used in the stress-strain state calculations of a fuel element. The methodology for calculating changes in the oxide fuel porosity and the pellet’s internal diameter is proposed and based on the published research papers dedicated to the study of oxide fuel properties and behavior during the first hours after a reactor reaches its power. Тhe methodology was tested using real experimental data on the porosity redistribution along the fuel pellet radius. The presence and the size of the pellet’s inner hole, as well as changes in the fuel matrix porosity, have a noticeable effect on the maximum temperature value. Taking into account the pellet structure evolution while performing computational simulation of the fuel rod operation under irradiation allows assessing the fuel element’s operability more accurately. The proposed methodology can be used in computer codes designed to calculate the stress-strain state of cylindrical fuel elements of fast reactors.

8395 Exploring the Relationship of Dietary Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) with Glycemic Control among Adults with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

Abstract Disclosure: C.E. Nevarez: None. A.B. Murthy: None. G. Jung: None. B. Gray: None. E. Cagliero: None. V. Aroda: None. E.W. Yu: None. Introduction: Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are thought to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of diabetic complications, yet the contributions of dietary AGE (dAGE) intake to systemic AGE levels and glycemic control have not been established. Utilizing a newly developed methodology for evaluating dAGEs, our objective was to test whether dAGE impact systemic AGEs and glycemic outcomes in adults with longstanding Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Methods: We examined adults aged 50+ years participating in the T1D BEACON cohort (n=97 T1D, n=53 non-diabetic controls). We developed a novel algorithm to quantify dietary AGE intake by associating items from the 2014 Block Food Frequency Questionnaire with their AGE content (as determined by ELISA from a previously published dataset; Urribarri et al., 2010). Daily dAGE intake was normalized using the nutrient density method (Willett et al., 1997). Additional measurements included autofluorescent skin AGEs (AGE Reader, DiagnOptics Technologies), diabetic history, hemoglobin A1C and 14-day continuous glucose monitoring to assess percentage time in glucose target range (70-180 mg/dL). We compared dAGEs between T1D and controls and evaluated associations of dAGEs with outcomes using independent t-tests, Pearson’s correlations, and multivariate linear regression with adjustments for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Results: Mean age and sex distribution was similar in the T1D and control groups (63.54 ± 6.7 yrs, 50.7% female). BMI was higher in the T1D group (27.9 ± 5.0 vs. 26.0 ± 4.9 kg/m^2, p = 0.031). The mean ± SD duration of diabetes in the T1D cohort was 46.1 ± 9.8 yrs, with A1c of 7.1 ± 1.0%. Utilizing our novel algorithm, the mean daily normalized dAGE intake was higher in the T1D than control groups (8.8 ± 2.3 kU/kcal vs. 7.9 ± 2.5 kU/kcal, p = 0.046) although this did not remain significant after multivariate adjustment (adj p = 0.123). Skin AGEs were higher in the T1D group (3.0 vs 2.5 AU, adj p&amp;lt;0.001). Within the full cohort, dAGE intake was significantly correlated with skin AGEs (r = 0.32, adj. p = 0.003), which was driven primarily by association within the T1D group (r = 0.32, adj p = 0.002). Additionally, dAGE intake was associated with higher A1C values within the full cohort (r = 0.27, adj. p = 0.019), and there was a trend that higher dAGE correlated with decreased time in target glucose range (r = -0.22, adj p = 0.062). Conclusion: Our analyses have revealed novel associations between dAGE intake, skin AGEs, and glycemic outcomes among adults with type 1 diabetes, underscoring the contribution of dietary patterns to systemic AGEs and physiological outcomes within diabetic populations. Future investigations will be needed to validate this novel dAGE assessment in external cohorts and to evaluate the potential impact of dietary AGE intake upon diabetic complications. Presentation: 6/1/2024

Discogenic Low Back Pain: Anatomic and Pathophysiologic Characterization, Clinical Evaluation, Biomarkers, AI, and Treatment Options.

Discogenic low back pain (LBP) is a significant clinical condition arising from degeneration of the intervertebral disc, a common yet complex cause of chronic pain, defined by fissuring in the annulus fibrosus resulting in vascularization of growing granulation tissue and growth of nociceptive nerve fibers along the laceration area. This paper delves into the anatomical and pathophysiological underpinnings of discogenic LBP, emphasizing the role of intervertebral disc degeneration in the onset of pain. The pathogenesis is multifactorial, involving processes like mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of advanced glycation end products, and pyroptosis, all contributing to disc degeneration and subsequent pain. Despite its prevalence, diagnosing discogenic LBP is challenging due to the overlapping symptoms with other forms of LBP and the absence of definitive diagnostic criteria. Current diagnostic approaches include clinical evaluations, imaging techniques, and the exploration of potential biomarkers. Treatment strategies range from conservative management, such as physical therapy and pharmacological interventions, to more invasive procedures such as spinal injections and surgery. Emerging therapies targeting molecular pathways involved in disc degeneration are under investigation and hold potential for future clinical application. This paper highlights the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach combining clinical, imaging, and molecular data to enhance the accuracy of diagnosis and the effectiveness of treatment for discogenic LBP, ultimately aiming to improve patient outcomes.

Deletion of TP signaling in macrophages delays liver repair following APAP-induced liver injury by reducing accumulation of reparative macrophage and production of HGF

BackgroundAcetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury is the most common cause of acute liver failure. Macrophages are key players in liver restoration following APAP-induced liver injury. Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and its receptor, thromboxane prostanoid (TP) receptor, have been shown to be involved in tissue repair. However, whether TP signaling plays a role in liver repair after APAP hepatotoxicity by affecting macrophage function remains unclear.MethodsMale TP knockout (TP−/−) and C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice were treated with APAP (300 mg/kg). In addition, macrophage-specific TP-knockout (TP△mac) and control WT mice were treated with APAP. We explored changes in liver inflammation, liver repair, and macrophage accumulation in mice treated with APAP.ResultsCompared with WT mice, TP−/− mice showed aggravated liver injury as indicated by increased levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and necrotic area as well as delayed liver repair as indicated by decreased expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Macrophage deletion exacerbated APAP-induced liver injury and impaired liver repair. Transplantation of TP-deficient bone marrow (BM) cells to WT or TP−/− mice aggravated APAP hepatotoxicity with suppressed accumulation of macrophages, while transplantation of WT-BM cells to WT or TP−/− mice attenuated APAP-induced liver injury with accumulation of macrophages in the injured regions. Macrophage-specific TP−/− mice exacerbated liver injury and delayed liver repair, which was associated with increased pro-inflammatory macrophages and decreased reparative macrophages and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) expression. In vitro, TP signaling facilitated macrophage polarization to a reparative phenotype. Transfer of cultured BM-derived macrophages from control mice to macrophage-specific TP−/− mice attenuated APAP-induced liver injury and promoted liver repair. HGF treatment mitigated APAP-induced inflammation and promoted liver repair after APAP-induced liver injury.ConclusionsDeletion of TP signaling in macrophages delays liver repair following APAP-induced liver injury, which is associated with reduced accumulation of reparative macrophages and the hepatotrophic factor HGF. Specific activation of TP signaling in macrophages may be a potential therapeutic target for liver repair and regeneration after APAP hepatotoxicity.

Effects of long-term biodegradable film mulching on yield and water productivity of maize in North China Plain

Biodegradable films are considered ideal alternatives to polyethylene films because of their advantages in increasing crop yield and controlling soil pollution. However, the influences of biodegradable film mulching on soil physicochemical environments and water productivity after long-term mulching remain poorly understood. Therefore, a field experiment after long-term mulching (since 2016) was conducted to explore the effects of black biodegradable film (BB), transparent biodegradable film (TB), and traditional polyethylene film (PE) on soil physicochemical environments, aboveground biomass accumulation, grain yield, evapotranspiration, and water productivity (WP) of maize in the 2021 and 2022 in the North China Plain. The results showed that polyethylene films and biodegradable films had a similar ability to preserve soil moisture, promote maize growth, reduce evapotranspiration, and increase WP. Moreover, the performances of BB were more equivalent to PE, and there was no significant difference on WP and yield under BB and PE. Compared with traditional flat planting without mulching (CK), BB and PE significantly increased yield (9.5 % and 12.7 % in 2021; 5.25 % and 6.37 % in 2022) and WP (11.54 % and 21.47 % in 2021; 24.28 % and 23.42 % in 2022). Film mulching treatments increased the soil organic carbon sequestration rate, and the content of soil organic carbon, microbial activity, and urease activity in the 0–20 cm soil layer compared with CK. According to structural equation modeling, the increasing soil water storage because of films mulching positively influenced yield by enhancing enzyme activities which were related to soil nutrients. Over all, these results showed that black biodegradable film is an ideal replacement for polyethylene films under long-term mulching conditions because of its comparable agronomic performance and influence on soil physicochemical environments in the North China Plain.

Recombinant lactate-assimilating cyanobacteria reduce high-concentration culture-associated cytotoxicity in mammalian cells.

In the fields of cultured meat, biopharmaceuticals, cell therapy, and tissue engineering, large numbers of mammalian cells are required; thus, highly-concentrated cell cultures are widely adopted. In general, such cultures can lead to cell damage caused by waste product accumulation and nutritional inadequacy. In this study, a novel co-culture system where the recombinant lactate-assimilating cyanobacterial strain, KC0110, derived from euryhaline Picosynechococcus sp. PCC 7002, and mammalian muscle cells cultured across porous membranes been developed. By using the KC0110 strain, the amount of ammonium and lactate excreted from C2C12 mouse muscle cells into the culture significantly decreased. Importantly, pyruvate and some amino acids, including pyruvate-derived amino acids, also increased significantly compared to those in monoculture of C2C12 cells. It is believed that the organic acids secreted by the KC0110 strain enhance the growth of mammalian cells, leading to a reduction in high-concentration culture-induced mammalian cell damage [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release] through cyanobacterial co-culture. These results show that, through co-cultivation with cyanobacteria, it is possible to culture mammalian cells, alleviating cell damage, even in highly-concentrated cultures. This study demonstrated an in vitro "symbiotic circular system" that can interchange metabolites produced by phototrophs and mammalian cells.

Inhibitory effect of caffeic acid and dihydrocaffeic acid on the formation of advanced glycation end products: Mechanism analysis based on intermolecular interaction

The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) generated from glycation reaction accelerates the development and deterioration of some diseases. Herein, the AGEs model of fructose-induced glycation of human serum albumin (HSA) was constructed and characterized. Both caffeic acid (CA) and dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA) can inhibit the formation of AGEs, and the inhibitory effect of CA was more pronounced, as confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, scanning electron microscopy, and carbonyl and thiol contents analysis. The binding of CA and DHCA to HSA was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking. The primary inhibitory mechanism was the occupation of the glycation site LYS199 of HSA, and the more significant inhibitory effect of CA was related to its stronger binding affinity. Furthermore, the conformational changes caused by glycation and CA/DHCA binding were monitored using fluorescence, circular dichroism, and dynamic light scattering analysis. The results would help to elucidate the inhibitory mechanism of CA and DHCA on AGEs formation based on their different structures and inhibitory effects, and provide guidance for choosing natural inhibitors for diabetes.

Investigation of SDS on Corrosion Behavior and Discharge Performance of AZ31B Magnesium Alloys in Aqueous Magnesium Air Batteries

To address the issue of high self-corrosion rate of Mg anodes in seawater batteries leading to low discharge efficiency, the green inhibitor, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was utilized to enhance the discharging performance of AZ31B alloy. The addition of SDS in a 3.5% NaCl solution led to a reduction in the corrosion rate of AZ31B alloy due to the formation of S-containing compounds. During the continuous-discharging period, the addition of 0.05 M SDS increased the anodic utilization efficiency from 64% to 81% and the specific energy density of the entire battery elevated from 1280 to 1912 mAh g−1 (an increase of 49%). The enhancement of the discharge performance of AZ31B Mg alloy in a 3.5% NaCl solution by SDS can be attributed to three aspects: reducing the negative difference effect of the Mg alloy, decreasing the accumulation of corrosion products on the surface of the Mg alloy, and promoting a more uniform dissolution of the Mg alloy.

A coumarin derivative C7 exhibits antiviral activity against WSSV by reducing phosphatidylcholine content in shrimp

The white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) causes white spot disease (WSD), a severe condition in crustacean aquaculture, leading to significant economic losses. Our previous study demonstrated that C7 is an effective therapeutic agent against WSSV infection in aquaculture. It specifically blocked viral horizontal transmission and reduced shrimp mortality in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Here, we report the potential antiviral mechanism of C7 in shrimp. C7 regulated abnormal glycerophospholipid metabolism caused by WSSV and inhibited phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis by more than twofold, potentially enhancing shrimp resistance to viral infection. As the primary phospholipid in the cell membrane, PC is one of the main reactants in lipid peroxidation. Our results indicated that C7 significantly reduced the levels of lipid peroxidation products 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA) induced by WSSV, whereas PC had the opposite effect. Accumulation of lipid peroxidation products inhibits stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling. Further evidence showed that C7 promoted STING transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus, significantly activating the expression of the shrimp interferon analogue Vago4 gene. In contrast, PC suppressed Vago4 expression. Our results demonstrated that C7 inhibited PC synthesis, reduced the degree of lipid peroxidation, promoted STING translocation, activated Vago4 expression, and ultimately exerted antiviral effects. Therefore, C7 exhibits immunoregulatory activity as a preventative agent for enhancing the innate immunity of shrimp, making it potentially useful for future immunomodulatory approaches.

Transcriptional Downregulation of Methanol Metabolism Key Genes During Yeast Death in Engineered Pichia pastoris.

Pichia pastoris possesses the unique ability to utilize methanol as its sole carbon source, which makes it a proper host for producing various high-value-added products via metabolic engineering. Nevertheless, cell death has been observed during the fermentation of modified P. pastoris, with limited literature elucidating the underlying causes and mechanisms. Understanding the death mechanisms during methanol-based fermentation is crucial for optimizing fermentation strategies, enhancing the accumulation of target products, and reducing production costs. Here, we first sought to eliminate the potential causes of cell death during fermentation, such as inadequate inorganic salts and toxic by-product accumulation. The elimination of these potential causes was achieved efficiently utilizing the high-throughput fermentation equipment. Subsequently, we established a correlation between yeast cell death and the duration of the methanol metabolism period by monitoring the growth of the yeast at different fermentation stages. A critical revelation from this work came from analyzing the yeast's transcriptomic data at various stages of methanol metabolism. It was observed that a significant characteristic of yeast cell death during fermentation was the marked down-regulation of transcript levels of key enzymes involved in the methanol assimilation pathway and genes related to their biosynthesis process. The findings of this work are crucial for better understanding the causes and mechanisms of cell death for engineered P. pastoris during methanol-utilized fermentation.

Agricultural plastic pollution reduces soil function even under best management practices.

Soil plastic contamination is considered a threat to environmental health and food security. Plastic films-which are widely used as soil mulches-are the largest single source of agricultural plastic pollution. Growing evidence indicates that high concentrations of plastic negatively affect critical soil functions. However, the relationships between agricultural plastic accumulation and its biogeochemical consequences in regions with relatively low levels of soil plastic pollution remain poorly characterized. We sampled farms across the California Central Coast (a region of global agricultural importance with extensive plastic mulch-based production) to assess the degree and biogeochemical consequences of plastic pollution in fields subject to "best practice" plastic mulching application and removal practices over multiple years. All farms exhibited surface soil plastic contamination, macroplastic positively correlated with microplastic contamination levels, and macroplastic accumulation was negatively correlated with soil moisture, microbial activity, available phosphate, and soil carbon pool size. These effects occurred at less than 10% of the contamination levels reported to degrade field soils, but were relatively subtle, with no detectable relationship to microplastic concentration. Identifying declines in soil quality with low levels of macroplastic fragment accumulation suggests that we must improve best management plasticulture practices to limit the threat to soil health and agricultural productivity of unabated plastic accumulation.

Accuracy of novel anthropometric indices for assessing the risk for progression of prediabetes to diabetes; 13 years of results from Isfahan Cohort Study.

We examined the accuracy of novel anthropometric indices in predicting the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. This study was performed on the pre-diabetic sub-population from Isfahan Cohort Study (ICS). Participants were followed up from 2001 to 2013. During every 5-year follow-up survey, patients' data regarding the incidence and time of incidence of diabetes were recorded. We evaluated the association between the risk of developing diabetes and novel anthropometric indices including: visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation products (LAP), deep abdominal adipose tissue (DAAT), abdominal volume index (AVI), A body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI) and weight-adjusted waist index (WWI). We categorized the indices into two groups according to the median value of each index in the population. We used Cox regression analysis to obtain hazard ratios (HR) using the first group as the reference category and used receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis for comparing the predictive performance of the indices. From 215 included subjects, 79 developed diabetes during the 13-year follow-up. AVI, LAP, BRI, and VAI indicated statistically significant HR in crude and adjusted regression models. LAP had the greatest association with the development of diabetes HR = 2.18 (1.36-3.50) in multivariable analysis. ROC curve analysis indicated that LAP has the greatest predictive performance among indices (area under the curve = 0.627). Regardless of baseline confounding variables, prediabetic patients with a higher LAP index may be at significantly higher risk for developing diabetes.

The Different Predictive Effects of Multiple Body Fat Indexes on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease.

The aim of this study was to comprehensively compare the predictive effect of 10 body fat indexes on MAFLD in different sex, age and BMI subgroups. A total of 5403 physical examination data were included and divided into the MAFLD group (N=2632) and non-MAFLD group (N=2771). The differences and correlation of 10 promising indicators between the two groups were compared, including fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), visceral fat index (VAI), cardiometabolic index (CMI), body adiposity index (BAI), and triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), waist circumference index (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist to height ratio (WHtR). Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk of MAFLD under different adjustment conditions. The operating characteristic curve of different genders, BMI levels and age subgroups was plotted. Male gender, smoking, alcohol drinking, and higher age are risk factors for MAFLD. In addition to BAI, the other 9 indicators had a high correlation with MAFLD, the area under the curve (AUC) value was >0.7, and the prediction effect was better in females, BMI<24 kg/m2, age <35 years subgroup, among which FLI (AUC: 0.912, 95% CI: 0.905-0.920), LAP (AUC: 0.894, 95% CI: 0.8866-0.903), and HSI (AUC: 0.881, 95% CI: 0.872-0.890) have better prediction effects. Our study confirmed the accuracy of body fat-related indexes in predicting MAFLD in people of different sexes, ages, and BMI levels. Among them, FLI, LAP and HSI have high predictive value and can be utilized as simple and cost-effective tools for screening MAFLD in clinical settings.

Combined oral contraceptive use and obesity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogenous endocrine condition and combined oral contraceptives (COCs) have been demonstrated to be the first-line treatment to women who do not intend to become pregnant. The combination of COCs and PCOS may or may not amplify the risks of cardiovascular events. To investigate whether surrogates for obesity may be influenced by the use of COCs containing different formulations in women with PCOS. From January 2024 a literature search was conducted in Google Scholar and Pubmed databases using PCOS, COC, and obesity terms. Hand search of randomized clinical trials in the references of obtained manuscripts was also performed. After the exclusion of reviews and articles that did not fulfill eligibility criteria, compared the results obtained before and after the use of COCs in 13 randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Random-effects model was used to estimate the standardized mean differences (SMD) and standard errors (SE). Risk of bias was examined using the Rob2 tool. Thirteen heterogeneous RCTs reported no difference in waist circumference with the use of different COC formulations (p = 0.714). On the contrary, body fat mass increased with the use of pill (p = 0.013). Waist triglyceride index and lipid accumulation product tended to be higher after the use of COCs (p = 0.073 and p = 0.064, respectively). Combined oral contraceptives with different formulations might increase fat mass accumulation in women with PCOS. Lipids may also be increased in PCOS users. Because some concerns about the quality and heterogeneity identified in various RCTs, caution should be taken before a definitive conclusion regarding the use of COCs and obesity.

GDF-15 improves the predictive capacity of Steatotic liver disease non-invasive tests for incident morbidity and mortality risk for cardio-renal-metabolic diseases and malignancies

Background & aimsNoninvasive tools (NITs) are currently used to stratify the risk of having or developing hepatic steatosis or fibrosis. Their performance and a proteomic-enabled improvement in forecasting long-term cardio-renal-metabolic morbidity, malignancies, as well as cause-specific and all-cause mortality, are lacking. Therefore, the performance of established NITs needs to be investigated in identifying cardio-renal-metabolic morbidity, malignancies, cause-specific and overall mortality and improve their performance with novel, proteomic-enabled NITs, including growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), allowing multipurpose utilization. Methods502,359 UK Biobank participants free of the study outcomes at baseline with a 14-year median follow-up were grouped into three categories: a) general population, b) potentially metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) population, c) individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The investigated NITs include Aspartate aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI), Fibrosis 4 Index (FIB-4), Fatty Liver Index (FLI), Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI), Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP), and metabolic dysfunction–associated fibrosis (MAF-5) score. ResultsAdding GDF-15 to the existing NITs led to significantly increased prognostic performance compared to the traditional NITs in almost all instances, reaching substantially high C-indices, ranging between 0.601 and 0.808, with an overall >0.2 improvement in C-index. Overall, with the GDF-15 enhanced NITs, up to more than seven times fewer individuals need to be screened to identify more incident cases of adverse outcomes compared to the traditional NITs. The cumulative incidence of all outcomes, based on the continuous value percentiles of NITs, is increasing exponentially in the upper quintile of the GDF-15 enhanced NITs. ConclusionsThe herein-developed GDF-15 enhanced indices demonstrate higher screening effectiveness and significantly improved prognostic abilities, which are reduced to practice through an easy-to-use web-based calculator tool (https://clinicalpredictor.shinyapps.io/multimorbidity-mortality-risk/).