Challenge Test Research Articles

Predictive capacity of fetal pancreatic circumference for gestational diabetes mellitus.

To assess the capacity of fetal pancreatic size, before standard blood glucose testing for screening and diagnosis, to predict maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This was a retrospective cohort study of low-risk pregnant women recruited during routine second-trimester fetal anatomical screening at 20-25 weeks' gestation at two ultrasound units in Israel between 2017 and 2020. The predictive performance of fetal pancreatic circumference ≥ 80th and ≥ 90th centiles and glucose challenge test (GCT) was examined for the outcome of GDM. The independent-samples t-test was used to compare mean pancreatic circumference centile between pregnancies with GDM and those without GDM. Diagnostic performance was evaluated with 2 × 2 contingency tables and receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC) curves. Overall, 195 women were selected for statistical analysis. Twenty-four (12.3%) women were diagnosed subsequently with GDM. The mean ± SD fetal pancreatic circumference centile was significantly higher in the GDM group compared with the non-GDM group (82.4 ± 14.6 vs 62.8 ± 27.6; P < 0.001). The pancreatic circumference centile was correlated positively with the estimated fetal weight centile (Pearson's coefficient, 0.243; P = 0.001). The 80th centile cut-off for pancreatic circumference had the highest sensitivity (70.8%) and positive predictive value (23.3%) for future maternal GDM, with the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity achieved at the 75th centile cut-off (sensitivity, 79%; specificity, 60%). The GCT had better specificity (90.2%) and negative predictive value (97.9%) compared with both cut-offs in pancreatic circumference. The area under the ROC curve was higher for pancreatic circumference compared with GCT (0.71 vs 0.64) and only the former was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Fetal pancreatic circumference has a higher positive predictive capacity compared with GCT. Measuring pancreatic circumference can identify pregnancies at high risk for maternal GDM, thereby promoting earlier diagnosis and treatment, decreasing the time period during which the fetus is exposed to high maternal glucose levels and improving infant outcome. © 2024 The Author(s). Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Tanycyte radial morphology and proliferation are influenced by fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 and high-fat diet.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) is a widely expressed, membrane-bound receptor that transduces extracellular signals from FGF ligands and cadherins, resulting in intracellular signals influencing cellular growth, proliferation, calcium, and transcription. FGF21 and FGF2 stimulate the proliferation of tanycytes, specialized radial astrocytes along the ventricle of the hypothalamus, and influence metabolism. Tanycytes are in a privileged position between the cerebrospinal fluid, the blood supply in the median eminence, and neurons within nuclei in the hypothalamus. The effect of FGFR1 signaling upon tanycyte morphology and metabolism was examined in adult mice with conditional deletion of the Fgfr1 gene using the Fgfr1flox/flox; Nestin-Cre+ line. Loss of Fgfr1 resulted in shorter β tanycytes along the medial eminence. Control Fgfr1flox/flox littermates and Fgfr1flox/flox, Nestin-Cre+ (Fgfr1 cKO) knockout mice were placed on a 1-month long high-fat diet (HFD) or a normal-fat diet (NFD), to investigate differences in body homeostasis and tanycyte morphology under an obesity inducing diet. We found that FGFR1 is a vital contributor to tanycyte morphology and quantity and that it promotes stem cell maintenance in the hypothalamus and hippocampal dentate gyrus. The Fgfr1 cKO mice developed impaired tolerance to a glucose challenge test on a HFD without gaining more weight than control mice. The combination of HFD and loss of Fgfr1 gene resulted in altered β and α tanycyte morphology, and reduced stem cell numbers along the third ventricle of the hypothalamus and hippocampus.

Effect of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics on survival, growth, and immune response of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is one of the causative agents of vibriosis which causes mortality and significant economic losses in shrimp aquaculture. Application of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics is an environmentally friendly strategy to control vibriosis and limit the use of antibiotics. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic diets on survival, growth and immune response of white shrimp. The experiments consisted of 5 treatments and 5 replications. (K-) Without the addition of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics and no challenge test; (K+) Without the addition of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics and challenge test; (P1) Addition of probiotics and challenge test; (P2) Addition of prebiotics and challenge test; (P3) Addition of synbiotics and challenge test. The parameters measured were SGR, FCR, THC, phagocytosis activity, lysozyme activity and SR. The results showed that SGR and FCR with probiotic (4.70±0.29%; 1.53±0.10) and synbiotic (4.60±0.15%; 1.64±0.14) diets were significantly different than K+ and no significant differences between them. The post-challenge results showed that the survival with probiotic (61.33±8.69%), prebiotic (42.67±7.60%) and synbiotic (57.33±10.11%) diets was significantly different than K+ (21.33±11.93%). No significant differences between probiotic and synbiotic diets on survival. Synbiotic diets showed the best immune response post-challenge test with THC (1.59±0.26x106 cells/mL), phagocytosis activity (42.80±6.91%), and lysozyme activity (0.92±0.11 cm) and significantly different than K+. The study concluded that probiotic or synbiotic diets had the best effect on SGR, FCR and survival of white shrimp post V. parahaemolyticus infection. Meanwhile, synbiotic diets showed the best immune response post V. parahaemolyticus infection.

Antagonistic Effects and the Underlying Mechanisms of Bacillus velezensis and its Antibacterial Peptide LCI Against Aeromonas hydrophila Infection in Largemouth Bass.

Aeromonas hydrophila is one of the most prevalent pathogenic bacteria in largemouth bass. The use of antibiotics to inhibit A. hydrophila poses a significant threat to fish and environmental safety. Bacillus velezensis, a safe bacterium with probiotic and antibacterial characteristics, is an ideal candidate for antagonizing A. hydrophila. This study explored the antagonistic effects of B. velezensis FLU-1 on A. hydrophila in vivo and in vitro. In addition, we explored the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by strain FLU-1 and clarified the underlying antibacterial mechanisms. The results showed that strain FLU-1 could inhibit a variety of fish pathogens, including A. hydrophila. The challenge test showed that dietary supplementation with B. velezensis FLU-1 significantly improved the survival rate of largemouth bass and reduced the bacterial load in liver. Subsequently, the AMP LCI was isolated from B. velezensis FLU-1 and was found to be effective against A. hydrophila in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that LCI downregulated the genes associated with flagellar assembly and peptidoglycan synthesis in A. hydrophila. Phenotypic test results showed that LCI disrupted the membrane integrity, markedly reduced the biofilm biomass and diminished the swimming motility of A. hydrophila. Furthermore, the results showed that LCI bound to the genomic DNA of A. hydrophila and destroyed the DNA structures. Overall, these findings elucidated the mechanism of action of LCI against A. hydrophila at the phenotypic and physiological levels. This study suggests that B. velezensis FLU-1 and its AMP LCI could serve as antibiotic alternatives for controlling pathogens in aquaculture.

Revealing static and dynamic biomarkers from postprandial metabolomics data through coupled matrix and tensor factorizations.

Longitudinal metabolomics data from a meal challenge test contains both fasting and dynamic signals, that may be related to metabolic health and diseases. Recent work has explored the multiway structure of time-resolved metabolomics data by arranging it as a three-way array with modes: subjects, metabolites, and time. The analysis of such dynamic data (where the fasting data is subtracted from postprandial states) reveals dynamic markers of various phenotypes, and differences between fasting and dynamic states. However, there is still limited success in terms of extracting static and dynamic biomarkers for the same subject stratifications. Through joint analysis of fasting and dynamic metabolomics data, our goal is to capture static and dynamic biomarkers of a phenotype for the same subject stratifications providing a complete picture, that will be more effective for precision health. We jointly analyze fasting and dynamic metabolomics data collected during a meal challenge test from the COPSAC cohort using coupled matrix and tensor factorizations (CMTF), where the dynamic data (subjects by metabolites by time) is coupled with the fasting data (subjects by metabolites) in the subjects mode. The proposed data fusion approach extracts shared subject stratifications in terms of BMI (body mass index) from fasting and dynamic signals as well as the static and dynamic metabolic biomarker patterns corresponding to those stratifications. Specifically, we observe a subject stratification showing the positive association with all fasting VLDLs and higher BMI. For the same subject stratification, a subset of dynamic VLDLs (mainly the smaller sizes) correlates negatively with higher BMI. Higher correlations of the subject quantifications with the phenotype of interest are observed using such a data fusion approach compared to individual analyses of the fasting and postprandial state. The CMTF-based approach provides a complete picture of static and dynamic biomarkers for the same subject stratifications-when markers are present in both fasting and dynamic states.

Dietary Use of Monoglycerides Blend in Plant-Based Diets Influences Growth Performance, Hepatopancreatic Histology, Immunity and Disease Resistance of Pacific White Shrimp Penaeus vannamei Against Vibrio harveyi

Feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of commercially available optimized mixtures of monoglyceride blend (MG, as BalanGut® AQ L supplied by BASF, Germany) on growth performance and health condition of Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei. A basal diet was formulated without MG, and four other diets were prepared by supplementing the powder forms of MG at inclusion levels of 0.5, 0.75, 1,0, and 1,5%. In a growth trial, eight replicate groups of shrimps were hand-fed with one of the diets four times daily for 60 days and observed for growth, total hemocyte count (THC), lysozyme activity, and histomorphological conditions of the hepatopancreas of the shrimp. In a challenge test, diseases challenged with Vibrio harveyi infection at a dose of 1 × 105 CFU mL-1 intramuscularly were conducted and then followed with the observation of the cumulative survival rate after 96 h postchallenge, phenoloxidase, the mean percentage of phagocytic activity and phagocytic index on the blood of the shrimp. In the growth trial, shrimps with inclusion levels of 0,75 up to 1,5% of MG showed significantly higher growth performance than the control treatment. The number of THC and lysozyme activity showed an increasing trend with the inclusion of MG at 0.5 up to 1.0% and then declined with the inclusion of 1.5%. The inclusion of MG did not cause any significant changes in the histomorphology of the shrimp's hepatopancreas. In the challenge test, the lowest survival rate after being infected with Vibrio harveyi was found in the control treatment, and the highest survival rate was found in the group of shrimps fed with 1 MG. The phenoloxidase (PO) activity, phagocytic activity, and index were higher in the group of shrimps fed with MG compared to the control treatment. The results of these studies indicate that the dietary supplementation of 0.75 – 1.0 % of MG can improve the growth, health condition, and disease resistance of P. vannamei.

Full-scale hybrid fire test in real-time with multiple degree of freedom

To experimentally assess the fire resistance of civil structures, testing whole structures is very costly but the standard tests on individual structural elements can sometimes be too simplistic, regarding their boundary conditions. Hybrid fire testing offers a promising solution to these limitations, but performing such tests is technically challenging and few full-scale tests have been conducted. Current approaches rely on high-performance sensors and actuator systems, as well as assumptions about the stiffness of the tested element. This paper presents the detailed methodology and results of a full-scale, real-time test with 3 degrees of freedom on a concrete beam. The use of an adaptive controller allowed for maintaining stability and achieving reasonable precision despite the use of relatively low-precision sensors, regular hydraulic actuators, and no assumptions about the tested element’s stiffness. The comparison with the same element tested using a standard fire resistance test demonstrates the usefulness of this technique in achieving a more accurate representation of the performance of the tested element in realistic conditions.

Effects of dietary Silphium perfoliatum L. on the growth performance, immunity, intestinal health, and resistance against Nocardia seriolae of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary Silphium perfoliatum L. on growth performance, immunity, intestinal health, and resistance against Nocardia seriolae of largemouth bass. Four dietary concentrations of S. perfoliatum L. were prepared: 0% (SPL0), 1% (SPL1), 2.5% (SPL2.5), and 5% (SPL5). After 60 d feeding, a challenge test was conducted by injecting N. seriolae intraperitoneally. The results showed that supplementing the diets with S. perfoliatum L. could promote the weight gain rate, specific growth rate, and feed intake. Meantime, S. perfoliatum L. could also enhance the activity of immune-related enzymes and improve the expression of immune-related genes in the liver. Compared to the control group, S. perfoliatum L. improved intestinal morphology and reduced the abundance of harmful bacteria in intestinal microbiota. Importantly, supplementing the diets with S. perfoliatum L. protected largemouth bass from N. seriolae infection, resulting in a relative percent survival (RPS) of 24% (SPL1), 31.99% (SPL2.5), and 43.99% (SPL5). In conclusion, the present study showed that S. perfoliatum L. could boost growth performance, enhance immunity, promote intestinal health, and improve the ability of largemouth bass against N. seriolae infection.

Innovative microbial water quality management in water distribution systems using in-pipe hydropowered UV disinfection: envisioning futuristic water-energy systems

ABSTRACT Hydropower UV disinfection has not been explored as a possible alternative for off-grid disinfection. Hydropowered UV LED technology was developed using off-the-shelf UV-C LEDs and pico – and femto-scale hydro turbine generators and evaluated across point-of-use relevant flow rates. Commercially available UV LED flow through reactors were subjected to microorganism challenge testing with 3 power schemes: wall-plug, hydropower, and hydropower-charged battery. UV LEDs powered by hydropower-charged battery demonstrated similar disinfection as wall-plug powered UV LEDs, achieving 0.5-1.8 MS2 log10 reduction at flow rates 0.5-2.3 L min−1, corresponding to reduction equivalent doses (RED) up to 16 or 30 mJ/cm2 for 254 and 285 nm, respectively. With hydropowered UV LEDs alone, MS2 log10 reduction decreased to <0.3 log10 reduction due to an underperforming and grossly inefficient turbine, with RED of 8 or 18 mJ/cm2 for 254 and 285 nm, respectively. Assessment of existing markets of UV disinfection systems and pico-hydro turbines demonstrated that hydropowered UV systems are already theoretically feasible for scales at point-of-entry (POE) and above. Economic feasibility will improve if turbines and/or UV system efficiencies improve. Prototype hydropower UV LED systems ranged from $145 to 220 depending on the UV LED reactor, and the battery system added $81. This study demonstrates the practicality of sustainable, renewable energy POU UV disinfection technology that can benefit decentralised, off-grid, rural and remote communities. The system may also scale up to provide renewable energy disinfection at larger scales, such as buildings and water distribution systems, for protecting human health in highly populated areas.

The Relationship between Atopic Dermatitis and Food Allergy

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterised by an inadequate skin barrier. This can be caused by a variety of reasons such as hereditary predisposition and immunological dysregulation. AD affects 20% of infants, it is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease in this group, and 3% of adults. It typically manifests as moderate disease, with two-thirds of people with AD unlikely to develop sensitivity to environmental allergens; nonetheless, there have frequently been connections with atopic diseases, particularly IgE-mediated food allergy (FA). Allergy is confirmed with a food challenge test before restricting this in the diet. Up to one-third of children with early-onset AD experience an atopic march, which is characterised by the later development of atopic disorders including asthma, allergic rhinitis and/or rhinoconjunctivitis, food allergies, and hay fever. As a result, AD and food allergy are linked, and recent research shows that AD develops before food sensitisation, and food allergy relates to atopic dermatitis of varied severity.

Use of a Capsaicin Cough Challenge Test to Compare Four Different Techniques for Nebulization Delivery in Cats.

Successful aerosol therapy might rely more heavily on proper drug delivery than on the effectiveness of the medication. This study compared four techniques for nebulization delivery in cats. Tolerance rate (TR) was subjectively evaluated (1-3). Increasing capsaicin concentrations were nebulized for objective evaluation of efficiency. The positive response (PR) was considered when more than five coughs were induced. The following delivery methods were tested: flow-by (FB); face mask (FM); plastic-covered Elizabethan collar (EC); and plexiglass chamber (PC). The number of PRs (NPR) and the concentration of capsaicin that induced a PR (CCP) were statistically compared (p < 0.05). The PC method was the best tolerated (TR = 3.0 ± 0.0), followed by the FB (2.7 ± 0.5) and FM (2.6 ± 0.5). The EC was very stressful, and the test had to be suspended in four out of nine cats. The lowest CCP was found with the FM (91.8 ± 157.2 µM), followed by the FB (166.7 ± 190.9 µM), PC (242.6 ± 244.8 µM), and EC (350.0 ± 225.7 µM), with significant differences only between the FM and EC (p = 0.02). The highest NPR (8) corresponded to the FM, followed by the FB (7), the PC (5), and the EC (3), with significant differences between the FM and EC (p = 0.016). In conclusion, the capsaicin cough test induces reproducible and quantifiable cat responses. The FM is the most efficient for nebulization delivery, offering good compliance and the best quantitative results. FB nebulization is less efficient but may be practical if the FM is not tolerated. PC offers minor efficiency but may be useful for very stressed or aggressive cats. The EC presents low efficiency and compliance.

Association between Fecal Bile Acids and Levodopa Response in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Levodopa is the mainstay of treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD), but large heterogeneity exists in patient response. Increasing evidence implicates bile acids (BAs) involved in the pathogenesis of PD. Furthermore, BAs have also participated in drug bioavailability. However, the impact of BAs on levodopa response (LR) has not been investigated. This study evaluated the association between fecal BAs and LR. Levodopa challenge test (LCT) was conducted in 92 PD patients to assess LR. A total of 36 fecal BAs and plasma levodopa concentrations were detected using LC-MS/MS. The difference of BAs between subgroups with bottom and top 30% LR were analyzed and fecal samples from the two groups were collected for metagenomic shotgun analysis. No fecal BAs were significantly correlated with LR, except for chenodeoxycholic acid-3-β-D-glucuronide (CDCA-3-β-glucuronide, R = -0.228, p-value = 0.039). We found no significant difference in BAs between subgroups with bottom and top 30% LR. What is more, no significant changes in bacterial species composition related to bile acids metabolism or in the proportional representation of genes encoding known bile acids enzymes were observed between the groups. Overall, our data do not support an association between fecal BAs and levodopa response in PD patients. More precise macro-metabolomic approaches are needed to reveal the potential association between gut microbial interactions and the treatment effect of levodopa.

Comparison of four confirmatory tests for the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism: Bayesian analysis in the absence of a gold standard.

Captopril challenge test (CCT), seated saline infusion test (SSIT), oral sodium loading test (OSLT) and fludrocortisone suppression test (FST) are widely used diagnostic tests for primary aldosteronism (PA). These tests differ in terms of safety and complexity. Whether the simpler tests (CCT and SSIT) are comparable in diagnostic performance to the more complex ones (FST and OSLT) is unclear. To compare the diagnostic accuracy of the four tests. This is a retrospective study of hypertensive patients who were screened for PA and completed at least one confirmatory test. The patients were divided into two cohorts: one including those who completed one to three tests was used for the estimation of sensitivity and specificity. The other including those who completed four tests was used for the comparison of accuracy. Bayesian method was used to obtain the sensitivity, specificity, and Youden index of each test. The study included 1011 hypertensive patients. Among them, 895 patients completed one to three tests (including 889 CCT, 605 FST, 611 SSIT and 69 OSLT), and 116 patients completed four tests. SSIT had the highest sensitivity of 0.82(95% CI 0.78-0.86) but the lowest specificity of 0.76(0.70-0.80). OSLT had the lowest sensitivity of 0.65(0.56-0.75) but the highest specificity of 0.91(0.82-0.96). The sensitivity and specificity were 0.78 (95% CI, 0.75-0.82), 0.82 (95% CI, 0.78-0.85), for CCT, and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.73-0.81), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.82-0.91) for FST, respectively. The Youden index was not significantly different among the four tests[0.60(0.55-0.65) for CCT; 0.58(0.51-0.64) for SSIT; (0.64(0.57-0.69) for FST; 0.56(0.43-0.67) for OSLT]. The accuracy of simpler tests is comparable to the more complex ones. Considering the safety and simplicity of CCT, it may be a reasonable first choice when confirming the diagnosis of PA.

Elucidation of synbiotic diet comprising of Lactobacillus plantarum L20 and Sargassum polycystum on gastrointestinal microbiota, tissue structures and AHPND associated dysbiosis susceptibility in black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon)

This study investigates the effect of a synbiotic combination comprising of Lactobacillus plantarum L20 and Sargassum polycystum on gastrointestinal microbiota, tissue structures and AHPND infection in black tiger shrimp, P. monodon. The shrimp were randomly distributed into synbiotic (feed that was incorporated with 108 CFU/g of L. plantarum L20 and 2% S. polycystum) and control group (feed that was incorporated with PBS). After 35 days of feeding trial, all groups were subjected to an AHPND-causing V. parahaemolyticus S2–4 immersion challenge at 6 × 105 CFU/mL. The shrimp gastrointestinal tract from both groups were collected from the feeding trial and challenge test and subjected to high throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and histopathological analysis. Following 35th day of feeding trial, there were growth enhancement in shrimp, but no significant differences (p > 0.05) in alpha and beta diversities in gastrointestinal microbiota for both groups. However, synbiotic group exhibited a differential abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillaceae and Lactiplantibacillus, which were not observed in the control group. Following 60 h post-challenge, there was improvement in shrimp survival in synbiotic group, with slightly significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in alpha diversity and but no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in beta diversity. Synbiotic group demonstrated negative correlation between the gastrointestinal microbiota with Vibrionaceae, enriched potential metabolic pathway of energy generation and microbiota proliferation, and protected gastrointestinal tract structure during the study. The findings suggest that synbiotic diet comprising of L. plantarum L20 and S. polycystum improve growth performance, disease resistance and gastrointestinal structure protection through enhancement of few beneficial bacteria group abundance, despite insignificantly changes of gastrointestinal microbiota with control diet in the shrimp.

In vitro and in vivo characterization of citral and limonene combinations against Vibrio campbellii in brine shrimp

The use of essential oils (EOs) has recently gained popularity due to their antimicrobial properties. However, current research primarily focuses on basic laboratory tests to identify active compounds or screen different plant sources. EOs comprise numerous constituents that interact intricately, complicating the understanding of their effective mechanisms. To address this issue, the study aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity and biological function of two major components (citral and limonene) extracted from the EO of Litsea citrata. Six assays were performed to investigate the antibacterial activity of citral and limonene, including a checkerboard assay, an inhibitory growth assay, a vapor-phase-mediated assay, a regrowth assay, a release of cellular contents assay, and an in vivo bioluminescence assay. Additionally, a challenge test and quantitative PCR of immune gene expression were conducted to assess the biological function of citral and limonene. The results showed that a citral/limonene mixture in a 1:8 ratio exhibited a synergistic effect against V. campbellii. While the antibacterial activity of the EOC mixture of citral/limonene (1:8) at the concentration of 0.0005% was relatively weak, it significantly increased the survival of Artemia when challenged with V. campbellii in vivo. These results suggest that the citral/limonene mixture in a 1:8 ratio at 0.0005% probably protects brine shrimp by immunomodulation at the host level and by reducing the colonization and/or virulence of the pathogen V. campbellii. Our results indicate the potential of this novel EOC combination to combat vibriosis in aquaculture.

Does the gestational age at which the glucose challenge test (GCT) is conducted influence the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)?

This study's objective is to investigate disparities in the rates of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis, influenced by the timing of the glucose challenge test GCT. This retrospective cohort study included women with singleton or twin pregnancies exhibiting abnormal GCT result between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation, followed by an oral glucose tolerance test OGTT during the same period. Data regarding pregnancy follow-up from patients' deliveries at a singular tertiary medical from 2014 to 2022 were retrieved. The probability of GDM diagnosis was stratified based on the gestational week of the GCT and the definition of a positive OGTT, delineated by one or two abnormal values. The study included 636 women with abnormal GCT between 24 and 28weeks of gestation. Of them, 157 unerwent the GCT between 24.0 and 24.6weeks, 204 between 25.0 and 25.6weeks, 147 between 26.0 and 26.6weeks, and 128 between 27.0 and 28.6weeks. We found that the highest incidence of GDM, defined by one or two pathological values of the OGTT, following the initial screening with a GCT, where abnormal results were defined as values exceeding 140mg/dL, was diagnosed in patients who underwent GCT between 26.0 and 26.6weeks of gestation. Conversely, the lowest rates were observed in patients screened between 24.0 and 24.6weeks of gestation. The timing of screening for GDM using the GCT significantly affects the rate of diagnosis. Clinicians managing pregnancies should consider this data when formulating treatment plans.

The effectiveness of the lorazepam challenge test in pediatric catatonia: A multisite retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveCatatonia is a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with changes in behavior and affect. In adults, catatonia can respond rapidly to treatment with benzodiazepines as part of the “lorazepam challenge test.” The acute effectiveness of benzodiazepine treatment in pediatric catatonia, however, has received less study. This study reports catatonia severity as measured by the Bush Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) in pediatric patients before and after treatment with lorazepam. MethodsMulticenter retrospective cohort study from 1/1/2018 to 6/1/2023 of patients aged 18 and younger with a clinical diagnosis of catatonia and assessment using the BFCRS before and after treatment with lorazepam. ResultsAmong 54 patients, median age was 16, and 26 (48.1 %) were female. Neurodevelopmental disabilities were present in 24 (44.4 %) of patients. Prior to treatment, patients had a mean BFCRS score of 16.6 ± 6.1, which significantly reduced to 9.5 ± 5.3 following treatment with lorazepam (mean paired difference 7.1; t = 9.0, df = 53, p < 0.001), representing a large effect size (Hedges's g = 1.20; 95 % CI: 0.85 to 1.55). No significant association was found between lorazepam dose or route of administration and clinical response, nor were age, sex, study site, the presence of a neurodevelopmental disorder, the presence of hyperactive catatonic features, or the time between treatment and reassessment associated with post-treatment BFCRS. ConclusionsLorazepam resulted in a rapid improvement in BFCRS score in pediatric patients, with a large effect size. Further research is needed into optimal dosing and route of administration of the lorazepam challenge test in pediatric patients.

In search of freezability predictors for feline spermatozoa – osmotic challenge tests and markers of sperm membrane structure

Semen cryopreservation is a crucial part of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) in animals, and recently it is gaining more and more attention among cat breeders. Even if fresh semen quality is good, sometimes spermatozoa do not survive freezing. The freezability prediction was widely studied in many species, but not in the domestic cat. The aim of this study was to verify the usefulness of osmotic challenge tests and membrane structure markers (Yo-Pro 1 and Merocyanine 540) for the prediction of the quality of post-thawed feline semen. Semen was collected by urethral catheterization from 22 male cats. After a basic evaluation of semen, 20×106 spermatozoa were cryopreserved; the rest were evaluated by flow cytometry for membrane integrity (SYBR-14/PI), acrosome status (lectin PNA/PI), mitochondrial potential (JC-1) and membrane stability (Yo-Pro 1/M540 staining). Hypo- and hyperosmotic challenge tests were also performed. The thawed samples were evaluated as fresh ones. The Pearson correlation between all parameters in fresh semen and all parameters in cryopreserved spermatozoa was assessed. Although some moderate correlations were found between the results of the osmotic tests and markers of sperm membrane stability (Yo-Pro 1 and Merocyanine 540) and post-thaw semen quality parameters, the predictive value of studied markers was rather weak – no cut-off values could be established and, based on regression models, they explained less than 40 % of variability in post-thaw quality. Our results confirm that cryodamage is a complex matter, in which many different factors play a role, affecting sperm motility and membrane integrity differently.

Sequence variants associated with resilient responses in growing pigs.

The current work aimed to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with resilience in pigs. In previous work, we proposed the body weight deviation from the expected growth curve (ΔBW) and the increase of the positive acute-phase protein haptoglobin (ΔHP) after a vaccine challenge as resilience indicators which may be improved through selective breeding in pigs. Individuals with steady growth rate and minor activation of haptoglobin (high ΔBW and low ΔHP values) were considered resilient. In contrast, pigs with perturbed growth rate and high activation of haptoglobin (low ΔBW and high ΔHP values) were considered susceptible. Both ∆BW and ∆HP were simultaneously considered to select the most resilient (N = 40) and susceptible (N = 40) pigs. A genome-wide association study was carried out for the pigs' response classification to the challenge test using whole-genome sequence data (7,760,720 variants). Eleven associated genomic regions were identified, harbouring relevant candidate genes related to the immune response (such as pro- and anti-inflammatory responses) and growth pathways. These associated genomic regions harboured 41 potential functional mutations (frameshift, splice donor, splice acceptor, start loss and stop loss/gain) in candidate genes. Overall, this study advances our knowledge about the genetic determinism of resilience, highlighting its polygenic nature and strong relationship with immunity and growth.

Comparison of different nebulisation systems for capsaicin cough challenge testing

Comparison of different nebulisation systems for capsaicin cough challenge testing