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To determine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and prediabetes - impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and associated risk determinants in Bangladeshi factory w orkers. A total of 791 male factory w orkers aged ≥20 years in the capital Dhaka city of Bangladesh w ere investigated. Anthropometric details, blood pressure and metabolic parameters w ere studied. We used the 2006 WHO diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of T2DM and prediabetes. The age - standardized prev alence of T2DM, IFG and IGT w ere 15.4, 17.7, and 25.8%, respectively. The prevalence of IFG and IGT increased w ith age. Among the study population, 38.9% had family history of diabetes (F/H DM), 27.9% hypertension (HTN), general obesity defined by body mas s index (BMI) was 43.7% and central obesity defined by w aist circumference (WC) and w aist -hip ratio (WHR) w ere 35.3% and 78.3%, respectively. Poor agreement w as observed betw een fasting and 2 hr blood glucose. Employing logistic regression, it w as found that increased age, F/H DM, higher BMI and WHR, and HTN w ere independent risk indicators for T2DM. Increased age and higher BMI w ere also independent risk indicators for prediabetes. The prevalence of T2DM and prediabetes w ere found relatively high in these factory w orkers. Obesity and HTN w ere also observed high in this study population.

Insulin resistance (IR) is a major determinant for a number of chronic cardio metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Therefore, identifying IR cases would help to better prevent the progression of these diseases. To identify simple indirect methods for detection of IR in Bangladeshi adults with normal blood glucose by using fasting blood samples. A total of 2293 randomly selected subjects (aged ≥20 years) in a rural community were investigated in population-based cross- sectional study. IR was assessed in 1915 individuals with normal blood glucose by fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting insulin resistance index (FIRI), quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and McAuley Index. The 75th percentile values as the cut-off point to define IR corresponded with a fasting insulin level of 12.0 mU/l, a HOMA-IR of 2.6, a FIRI of 2.3, a 25th percentile for QUICKI of 0.24 and a McAuley Index of 6.0. Significant correlation was observed between calculated indirect indexes of IR and different components of metabolic syndrome. Simple indirect methods by using fasting samples would be useful to identify IR cases in population-based cross sectional survey especially in facility constraints areas like rural Bangladesh.

In this paper, a novel baseline free approach for continuous online damage detection of multi degree of freedom vibrating structures using recursive principal component analysis (RPCA) in conjunction with online damage indicators is proposed. In this method, the acceleration data is used to obtain recursive proper orthogonal modes in online using the rank-one perturbation method, and subsequently utilized to detect the change in the dynamic behavior of the vibrating system from its pristine state to contiguous linear/nonlinear-states that indicate damage. The RPCA algorithm iterates the eigenvector and eigenvalue estimates for sample covariance matrices and new data point at each successive time instants, using the rank-one perturbation method. An online condition indicator (CI) based on the L2 norm of the error between actual response and the response projected using recursive eigenvector matrix updates over successive iterations is proposed. This eliminates the need for offline post processing and facilitates online damage detection especially when applied to streaming data. The proposed CI, named recursive residual error, is also adopted for simultaneous spatio–temporal damage detection. Numerical simulations performed on five-degree of freedom nonlinear system under white noise and El Centro excitations, with different levels of nonlinearity simulating the damage scenarios, demonstrate the robustness of the proposed algorithm. Successful results obtained from practical case studies involving experiments performed on a cantilever beam subjected to earthquake excitation, for full sensors and underdetermined cases; and data from recorded responses of the UCLA Factor building (full data and its subset) demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methodology as an ideal candidate for real-time, reference free structural health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm formation by bacteria is highly recognized for virulence factors resulting in their resistance to antimicrobials that lead to biofilm-associated infections. In this study, we isolated Escherichia fergusonii from soil, characterized its biofilm-associated growth, and evaluated the inhibitory potential of anti-biofilm compounds. Test isolate ACE12 was precisely identified as E. fergusonii based on the morphological and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of ACE12 showed its resistance to β-Lactams, Aminoglycosides, Macrolides, Tetracycline, Trimethoprim, Vancomycin, & Nitrofurans and on the basis of its resistant pattern the isolate was categorized as extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria. In addition, the research isolate ACE12 was found to harbor four distinct antibiotic resistant genes including dfrA1, blaTem-1, tetC, and sul1, encoding the resistant determinants for trimethoprim, β-lactam, tetracycline, and sulfonamide antibiotics, respectively. Initial screening of biofilm formation by Congo-Red Agar (CRA) and Tube method demonstrated that E. fergusonii ACE12 is a biofilm-forming bacterium. The respective biofilm was characterized by estimating the optical density (OD 595 ) of crystal violet (CV)-stained biofilm by Microtiter plate assay, confirming E. fergusonii as a strong biofilm former. Evaluation of anti-biofilm activity of metal salt of zinc (ZnSO 4 .7H 2 O), 1,1-Diphenyl-2-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and two phenolic acids including tannic acid (TA) and trans-cinnamic acid (trans-CA) showed that ≥80 % of biofilm was inhibited at their minimum inhibitory concentrations of 15-100 μg/ml for ZnSO 4 .7H 2 O, 250-500 μg/ml for DPPH, 40-50 μg/ml for TA, and 500-1000 μg/ml for Trans-CA. Additionally, at a concentration of 2500 μg/ml, ZnO-1 exhibited approximately 80 % biofilm reduction whereas 70 % biofilm was inhibited by ZnO-6. These findings exhibit that, the studied anti-biofilm compounds can effectively inhibit the biofilm associated growth of E. fergusonii., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflict of interest and personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Naegleria fowleri, is the causative agent of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a lethal acute brain inflammation with high mortality. The virulent and reproductively active trophozoite stage of N. fowleri migrates to central nervous system (CNS) by entering through nasal passage and causes severe neural infection, brain disease and inflammation with high mortality. In this review we present the current available information about N. fowleri, including its case reports, pathogenesis and the mechanism of host neuroinflammation associated with PAM. Various case reports reveal that the survival rate of patients with PAM is very low. Several anti-microbial, anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory compounds such as doxycycline, amphotericin, acyclovir, miltefosine, ampicillin, ceftriaxone, azithromycin are widely used to treat PAM. Nanoparticles conjugated drug has now attracted better attention in dealing with free-living amoeba community. Conventional drugs are being conjugated with nanomaterials like gold (Au), sliver (Ag) etc. which have elicited better amoebicidal effect against N. fowleri than unconjugated drugs. This targeted strategy may prove helpful and possibly may reduce neural damage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Exopolysaccharides (EPS) derived from microbial sources hold great promise for various industrial applications due to their biodegradability and diverse biological activities., Methods and Results: In this study, EPS was isolated and characterized from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain BDIFST240014, a Gram-positive bacterium known for its robust EPS production. Taxonomic classification was confirmed through 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. We optimized the growth conditions for EPS production, yielding a maximum of approximately 74.81 mg/L after 48 h of incubation at 37 °C. UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy were used to characterize the EPS, revealing key functional groups indicative of its polysaccharide nature. The EPS contained total carbohydrate and protein contents of 841.234 µg/5 mg and 630.54 µg/5 mg, respectively, along with a potent water holding capacity (WHC) of 103.31% and oil holding capacity (OHC) of 106.78%, underscoring its potential as a multifunctional biopolymer. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated significant activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative pathogens, including S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli, and S. typhi. Antioxidant assays confirmed its potent DPPH radical scavenging activity (71.52%) and Fe³⁺ reducing capacity. Furthermore, emulsification studies showed its efficacy with various oils (coconut oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil) and a hydrocarbon (n-hexane), with the highest emulsification indices (E1 and E24) of 60.78% and 60.39%, respectively, against coconut and sunflower oils. Notably, the EPS selectively promoted the growth of probiotic strains while not enhancing the growth of pathogenic bacteria, highlighting its prebiotic potential., Conclusions: These findings suggest that EPS from B. amyloliquefaciens BDIFST240014 is a promising candidate for diverse industrial and biomedical applications., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: This study did not involve any human or animal-related experiments, and therefore, no ethical approval was required. Informed consent: This consent was obtained from all individual persons included in the study. Consent for publication: Informed consent for publication was obtained from all individual authors. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Mosquitoes are important vectors that transmit viral, protozoan, and helminthic diseases across the world. Climate change and unplanned urbanization are accelerating the spread of these diseases. Controlling vector-borne diseases can be performed most effectively through vector control. Inadequate knowledge of vector bionomics is an impediment and can lead to inappropriate vector control efforts. However, the conventional methods of vector identification are based on morphological differences, demand a significant amount of time and specific skills, and are often misleading. An efficient and affordable solution is needed to quickly and accurately identify pooled samples from vast geographical territories. To ensure the correct identification of distorted or pooled samples in India, a set of definitive steps is required, including the construction of unique primers and the standardization of a one-step assay based on the second internal transcribed spacer gene of the ribosomal DNA. We have successfully developed and confirmed a highly efficient one-step multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay for the accurate identification of major mosquito vectors, especially in the cases of both the adult and larval forms of Anopheles sp., Aedes sp., and Culex sp. Hence, the specificity, universality, and uniqueness of these primers could serve as a critical tool for the rapid one-step and one-reaction identification of mosquitoes to control mosquito-borne disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.

Ompok pabda is gaining popularity in the aquaculture industry due to its increasing demand; however research on microbial diversity and antibiotic susceptibility remains limited. The present study was designed to identify the bacterial pathogens commonly found in the pabda farming system with their biofilm forming potential and antibiotic susceptibility. Different bacterial strains were isolated from water, sediments and gut, gill of pabda fish and the isolates were identified based on their morphological traits, biochemical and molecular analysis. Antibiotic susceptibilities, antibiotic resistance gene determination and biofilm formation capabilities were evaluated by disc diffusion method, PCR amplification and Microtiter plate (MTP) assay, respectively. The respective isolates of gill and gut of pabda aquaculture and their environments were: Exiguobacterium spp. (25 %), Enterococcus spp. (20 %), Bacillus spp. (10 %), Acinetobacter spp. (10 %), Enterobacter spp. (10 %), Aeromonas spp. (10 %), Lactococcus spp. (5 %), Klebsiella spp. (5 %) and Kurthia spp. (5 %). Antibiotic resistance frequencies were found to be relatively high, especially for trimethoprim (95 %), sulfafurazole (75 %), ampicillin (60 %), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (55 %), and cephradine (50 %). 30 % isolates were categorized as DR bacteria followed by 30 % isolates were MDR bacteria and 40 % were classified as XDR bacteria. Moreover, 4 antibiotic resistant genes were detected with sul1 (30 %), dfrA1 (10 %), tetC (40 %), and qnrA (5 %) of isolates. Based on the microtiter plate method, 20 %, 25 %, and 30 % of isolates were found to produce strong, moderate, and weak biofilms, respectively. The findings suggest that biofilm forming bacterial strains found in O. pabda fish farm may be a potential source of numerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The study sheds new light on antibiotic resistance genes, which are typically inherited by bacteria and play an important role in developing effective treatments or control strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflict of interest and personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biosurfactants are naturally occurring compounds synthesized by micro-organisms that increasingly attract attention due to both their living area and application in various industries. In this study, we explore and characterize a novel bacterium, Enterobacter quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001, isolated for its ability to produce rhamnolipid biosurfactants, with the aim of facilitating oil remediation processes. The isolation of this bacterium was carried out using Luria-Bertani (LB) broth media from environmental samples collected from oil-contaminated sites in Dhaka City. Screening tests, including the oil spreading method and drop collapse assay, were conducted to identify potential biosurfactant-producing strains, leading to the selection of E. quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001 based on its favourable performance. Subsequent molecular identification revealed a high similarity of the strain's 16S rRNA gene to E. quasihormaechei , which was corroborated through phylogenetic analysis. Further analysis of the biosurfactant produced by this strain indicated its rhamnolipid nature, as confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. The rhamnolipids exhibited promising surface-active properties, including a significant reduction in surface tension and emulsification activity, as evidenced by surface tension measurements and emulsification index assays. Optimization studies revealed that the optimal conditions for rhamnolipid production by E. quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001 were a temperature of 37 °C, pH 10.0 and salinity of 4 %. The rhamnolipids produced by this strain demonstrated effective oil remediation capabilities, as observed through controlled experiments using petrol oil. The rhamnolipids effectively reduced the surface tension of the oil-water interface, facilitating the dispersion and emulsification of the oil phase in water. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of E. quasihormaechei strain BDIFST24001 as a promising candidate for biosurfactant-mediated oil spill cleanup and environmental remediation efforts., Competing Interests: The authors stated that they have no identifiable financial conflicts of interest or personal relationships that could potentially bias the results reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors.)

From ancient times until 21st century, Malaria has remained a fatal disease. It causes death in many poor and developing countries. Excluding vector control, Antimalarial drugs are the most reliable and effective weapon to tackle this severe disease. The emergence of antimalarial drug resistance in Plasmodium spp. becomes a barrier in Malaria elimination program as there has been no effective antimalarial vaccine till today. Apart from artemisinin, most of the antimalarial drugs have become resistant against malaria at present. Although, reduced efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has also been reported from southeast regions of Asia. Mutation of some genes within the parasite play a vital role in this drug resistance. Therefore, malaria is still a prime threat to human death and an unsolved problem. Newly emerging approaches like, vaccine development, plants based antimalarial drugs, nanoparticles, next generation antimalarial drugs should be taken & supported. In addition to that, public awareness is much needed for understanding the fatality of the disease and for encouraging self-protection and early treatment., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Journal of Vector Borne Diseases.)

Background: Ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and homeopathy (AYUSH) form an alternative system of medicine in India. Understanding the utilization of AYUSH practitioners' services is crucial to substantiating the current government initiatives to mainstream AYUSH in the Indian health system. The utilization of AYUSH practitioners' services among different sub-populations, including older adults, for various health conditions is underexplored. The present study explores the utilization of AYUSH practitioners' service among older Indian adults and its correlates., Methods: During 2017-2018, the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) conducted a nationally representative study among adults aged 45 years or more and their spouses. The study leveraged this data from publicly available LASI. Descriptive analysis and cross-tabulation were performed using a subset of older adults (age ≥ 60 years, n = 31,464). The utilization of AYUSH practitioners' services was taken as the outcome variable. A logistic regression model was employed to understand the independent effect of various explorative variables on the use of AYUSH practitioners' services., Results: One in 14 older adults utilized the services of AYUSH practitioners. The socio-demographic factors that were looked at, including religion, residence, and caste were significant independent factors for AYUSH consultation. Among chronic conditions, hypertension (use-5.6%, AOR: 1.24, CI: 1.09-1.40), diabetes (use-4.2%, AOR: 1.31, CI: 1.09-1.57), and arthritis (use-9.1%, AOR: 0.59, CI: 0.52-0.67) were independent determinants of AYUSH practitioners' service utilization. In the fully adjusted model, the effect of explanatory variables is almost similar to that in the minimally adjusted model. Only the effect of the female gender was accentuated in magnitude, whereas the effect of diabetes was partially attenuated., Conclusion: The preference for AYUSH practitioners' service among older adults is determined by the complex interplay between socio-demographic factors and disease conditions. Though utilization of AYUSH practitioners' service was high among certain underprivileged sections, it is assuring that education and income do not affect older populations' preference for AYUSH practitioners' service., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Mohanty et al.)

Selectivity improvement by the frequency tuning of Mg@ZnO-TiO 2 nanoflake-based heterojunction devices under exposure to different volatile organic compounds is the prime focus of the present paper. The synthesis of Mg@ZnO-TiO 2 nanoflakes was carried out using a solution process followed by a low-cost hydrothermal method. A capacitive measurement approach was used to find the resonant frequencies of the device in 2-butanone, acetone, 2-propanol, ethanol, and methanol environments in the frequency range from 0.001 to 220 kHz. A Cole-Cole plot derived from impedance measurements suggested that the device impedance consisted of capacitance ( C z = 2.01 pF and C T = 2.17 pF) and resistance ( R z = 13 552.2 kΩ and R T = 3500.574 kΩ) from the ZnO nanoflake layer and TiO 2 thin film layer, respectively. The maximum capacitive responses to 2-butanone (C 4 H 8 O), acetone (C 3 H 6 O), 2-propanol (C 3 H 8 O), ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH), and methanol (CH 3 OH) were recorded at resonant frequencies of 1.000 kHz, 0.791 kHz, 0.702 kHz, 0.319 kHz and 0.103 kHz, respectively, at the corresponding temperature of 125 °C, 100 °C, 100 °C, 75 °C, and 75 °C, respectively. The device offered optimum capacitive responses of 221.32%, 242.65%, 317.09%, 373.96%, and 401.24% to 100 ppm of 2-butanone, acetone, 2-propanol, ethanol, and methanol, respectively. Experimental observation confirmed that the capacitive response inversely varied with the resonant frequency. Such an inverse relation was correlated with the dielectric variation at the junction interface, change in the molecular weights of VOCs, and their sticking coefficient. An equivalent circuit diagram with the help of adsorption-desorption isotherms and an energy band model is illustrated to correlate the device optimum capacitive response at the tuned frequencies under different VOC media.

Background: Early detection of post-COVID-19-related lung fibrosis is very important for the early introduction of treatment and to minimize morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is the early detection and evaluation of post-COVID-19 fibrosis by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)., Methods: This prospective study included 115 patients irrespective of age and sex, who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 by nasopharyngeal swab (RT PCR), admitted to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) dedicated COVID-19 hospital, Dhaka, and discharged after recovery. Patients went through a chest HRCT scan at least once during their hospital stay and another scan during follow-up after hospital discharge and 8 to 12 weeks of negative RT-PCR report., Result: Among 100 patients 23 patients had >50% of total lung involvement by visual assessment. Thirty-three patients had 25% to 50% of total lung volume involvement. Twenty-seven patients had less than 25% of total lung involvement, whereas 17 patients had no visual fibrotic change on the follow-up HRCT scan. A statistical association was found between age, gender, smoking, and severe form of lung fibrosis ( P  < .05). Patients with mild CT severity score (⩽8) had a very good prognosis. Patients who were admitted to the hospital for more than 15 days were more prone to developing moderate and severe forms of fibrosis. Patients who received at least 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had less severe forms of fibrosis as well as more cases of complete radiological recovery. On the HRCT scan, most of the patients had bilateral, peripheral (68%), and predominant mid & lower lobar parenchymal involvement., Conclusion: Early detection and HRCT evaluation of post-COVID-19 related lung fibrosis is very crucial for early management and introduction of anti-fibrotic drugs., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing percentage of COVID-19 survivors exhibit post-COVID symptoms. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess radiological findings in individuals having post-COVID respiratory problems. This study was conducted in the Departments of Radiology and Imaging and Internal Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 2021 to June 2022 and included 30 COVID survivors aged 40 to 65 years. We employed a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire including socio-demographic information, clinical data and CT chest imaging parameters. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated, as well as multiple linear regressions. Among 30 participants, 56.0% were male. The mean age of the respondents was 51.20 years (standard deviation of 7.09), ranging from 40 to 65 years. Approximately one-third of the participants had at least one co-morbid condition where hypertension (26.67%), diabetes (26.67%), chronic interstitial lung disease (16.67%) and obesity (16.67%) were most commonly recorded. Approximately 20.0% of participants were smokers. The incident of at least one post-COVID symptom was 100.0%. Approximately 73.0% presented with post-COVID lethargy, 16.67% with SoB (Shortness of Breath), and 90.0% of participants complaint of self-reported anxiety. We have found a positive correlation between age and overall lung involvement. The most common lung tomographic findings were fibrosis (93.0%) and diffuse ground glass opacity (70.0%). Interstitial lung thickening was found in 50.0% of cases and bronchiectasis accounted for 16.67%. In 6.6% of cases, there was no pulmonary lesion. It was notifiable that, with time, the feature of DGGO (diffuse ground glass opacity) became subtle and the total lung involvement decreased from 75.0% to about 25.0% during the post-COVID period. Timely assessment for post-COVID pulmonary sequelae by high-resolution CT chest scan might play an important role in modulating a treatment plan for patients suffering from the post-COVID syndrome.

Rapid consumerism and improper waste disposal create widespread environmental degradation through the air, water sources and landfills in India's rural areas. This work develops a health risk prediction model to score villages based on quantitative and qualitative factors. Quantitative observations regarding pollutant levels and qualitative responses are collected from various households. that are risk labelled against WHO standards. The health risk model is designed to correlate the qualitative factors. A total of 2,370 rural households spread across three districts of Karnataka were selected. The study found that the health risk score predicted by the model has a higher significant correlation (0.8) to various existing pollutant factors. The study found that source of drinking water (0.87), quality of drinking water (0.81), drainage canal availability (0.72), type of drainage (0.73), stagnant water (0.71), toilet availability (0.83), maintenance frequency (0.83), cooking fuel type (0.77), cigarette use (0.71), garbage piles up (0.73) and the percentage composition of wastes (0.74) was found to have a higher positive correlation to the health of rural households. The villages with higher health risks can be identified, and suitable mitigation plans can be designed to mitigate the health risk by state authorities.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications and adverse perinatal outcomes. GDM often reoccurs and is associated with increased risk of subsequent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). To improve our understanding of the aetiological factors and molecular processes driving the occurrence of GDM, including the extent to which these overlap with T2D pathophysiology, the GENetics of Diabetes In Pregnancy Consortium assembled genome-wide association studies of diverse ancestry in a total of 5485 women with GDM and 347 856 without GDM. Through multi-ancestry meta-analysis, we identified five loci with genome-wide significant association (P < 5 × 10-8) with GDM, mapping to/near MTNR1B (P = 4.3 × 10-54), TCF7L2 (P = 4.0 × 10-16), CDKAL1 (P = 1.6 × 10-14), CDKN2A-CDKN2B (P = 4.1 × 10-9) and HKDC1 (P = 2.9 × 10-8). Multiple lines of evidence pointed to the shared pathophysiology of GDM and T2D: (i) four of the five GDM loci (not HKDC1) have been previously reported at genome-wide significance for T2D; (ii) significant enrichment for associations with GDM at previously reported T2D loci; (iii) strong genetic correlation between GDM and T2D and (iv) enrichment of GDM associations mapping to genomic annotations in diabetes-relevant tissues and transcription factor binding sites. Mendelian randomization analyses demonstrated significant causal association (5% false discovery rate) of higher body mass index on increased GDM risk. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that GDM and T2D are part of the same underlying pathology but that, as exemplified by the HKDC1 locus, there are genetic determinants of GDM that are specific to glucose regulation in pregnancy., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press.)

The present paper demonstrated the impedance analysis of Au/TiO 2 nanoparticles/Si-Al capacitive sensor for selective detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at different frequency regimes. TiO 2 nanoparticles (NP) were synthesized through the solution process and characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy , x-ray diffraction analysis, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The gas sensitivity of Au/TiO 2 - NP/Si-Al was investigated, with the effect of temperature modulation (25 °C-250 °C) and dielectric variation in the vicinity of nanoparticles. Impedance spectroscopy of TiO 2 - NP was carried out to obtain resonant peaks over the frequency ranging from 0.05 to 225 kHz and fitted with a complex nonlinear least-squares method. The optimum sensor response of 136%, 63%, 152%, and 174% was found at resonant frequencies of 0.38 kHz, 0.22 kHz, 0.15 kHz, and 0.1 kHz for the exposure of 2-propanol, acetone, ethanol, and methanol, respectively. The fastest response time and recovery time were found to be 32/21 s, 31.2/8 s, 32.5/9 s, and 40/26 s for acetone, 2-propanol, ethanol, and methanol, respectively. Selective detection of different VOCs at various resonant frequencies has correlated with the dielectric variation of the NPs and their associated void region under gas exposure., (© 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is rising at a rapid rate worldwide. As a chronic, incurable metabolic disease, diabetes affects a person's life in all ways. Studies thus far have focused on the impact of diabetes on the physical and mental health of persons affected by the quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to explore the whole range of QoL deficits using the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) in type-2 diabetic patients., Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among individuals aged at or above 15 years with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Patients with prior mental health illness and unwillingness to give consent were excluded. A pretested structured questionnaire including the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviews. Appropriate ethical measures were ensured. All statistical analyses were carried out using the statistical software STATA (Version 16.1). Graphs were created using R (Version 4.0.0)., Results: A total of 500 T2 DM patients with a mean age of 55.8 ± 13.2 years (± SD) and a female proportion of 50.8% were included. Overall, 22.2% of participants rated their QoL as poor, and 25% were dissatisfied with their health (as assessed by questions 1 and 2 of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire). More than half (54% and 51.2%, respectively) had an average evaluation of their QoL and health. The QoL scores were below average, with mean scores (± SD) for the physical health, psychological, social relationship, and environmental domains of 37.2 ± 20.5, 44.2 ± 21.0, 39.6 ± 23.2, and 41.6 ± 19.5, respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the patient's level of education and monthly family income were significant positive modifiers and that complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, and peripheral artery disease) were significant negative determinants of the QoL score in different domains., Conclusion: This study found the overall quality of life among T2DM patients below average. Health authorities and clinicians should take these findings into account and incorporate necessary measures to ameliorate negative modifiers of the quality of life of sufferers., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally and in Brazil. Evidence suggests that the risk of CVDs differs by race/ethnicity. Scarce information exists about the association between CVD risk, obesity indicators and sociodemographic characteristics in the Brazilian population. Objectives: We aimed to assess the CVD risk following the Framingham risk score in relation to the population's sociodemographic profile. Further, we examined the association between anthropometric markers and risk of CVDs. Methods: A total of 701 subjects aged ≥20 years from North-eastern Brazil were recruited randomly to participate in a population-based, cross-sectional survey. Age-adjusted data for CVD risk, sociodemographic characteristics, and anthropometric indices were assessed, and their relationships examined. Results: High CVD risk (Framingham risk score ≥10%) was observed in 18.9% of the population. Males (31.9 vs. 12.5%) and older subjects (age ≥45 years: 68.9% vs. age <45 years: 4.2%) had significantly higher risk of CVDs, whereas those employed in manual labor showed lower risk (7.6 vs. 21.7%). Central obesity measures like waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio were more strongly associated with predicted CVD risk than body mass index. Conclusions: Our population had a high risk of CVDs using the Framingham risk score. Cost-effective strategies for screening, prevention and treatment of CVDs may likely reduce disease burden and health expenditure in Brazil. Central obesity measures were strongly associated with predicted CVD risk and might be useful in the clinical assessment of patients. Follow-up studies are warranted to validate our findings., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Moreira, Mdala, Hussain, Bhowmik, Siddiquee, Fernandes, Montenegro and Meyer.)

Aims: We aimed to review insulin dosing recommendations, insulin regulation and its determinants, glycaemic response to carbohydrates, and the efficacy and safety of insulin therapy in different races/ethnicities., Methods: We searched for articles in PubMed and Google Scholar databases up to 31 March 2021, with the following keywords: "ethnicity", "diabetes", "insulin", "history of insulin", "insulin therapy", "food/rice", "carbohydrate intake", "insulin resistance", "BMI", "insulin dosing", "insulin sensitivity", "insulin response", "glycaemic index", "glycaemic response", "efficacy and safety", with interposition of the Boolean operator "AND".In addition, we reviewed the reference lists of the articles found., Results: The differential effect of race/ethnicity has not yet been considered in current insulin therapy guidelines. Nevertheless, body size and composition, body mass index, fat distribution, diet, storage, and energy expenditure vary significantly across populations. Further, insulin sensitivity, insulin response, and glycaemicresponse to carbohydrates differ by ethnicity. These disparities may lead to different insulin requirements, adversely impacting the efficacy and safety of insulin therapy among ethnic groups., Conclusions: Race/ethnicity affects glucose metabolism and insulin regulation.Until now, international guidelines addressing racial/ethnic-specific clinical recommendations are limited. Comprehensive updated insulin therapy guidelines by ethnicity are urgently needed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To assess the efficacy of vitamin D3 or B12 supplementation during pregnancy., Methods: Pregnant women at 6-14 weeks in the intervention arm received oral high dose intermittent vitamin D3 and/or low dose B12 supplementation if they had vitamin D or vitamin B12 deficiency. The control arm received prescribed dietary instruction only. An additional observational arm for those mothers at booking with normal vitamin D and vitamin B12 level was also recruited. All groups received standard care during pregnancy., Results: The primary endpoint of either vitamin D or B12 at term was not met. At baseline 25% participants in both the interventional and control arms had severe D deficiency (<30 nmol/l), reducing to under 3.4% in both groups. No maternal differences in vitamin D or B12 levels were found at delivery between the intervention, control, or observational groups. No significant difference in any of the pregnancy or birth outcomes was observed between three groups., Conclusions: In this study, oral supplementation of high dose intermittent vitamin D or low dose vitamin B12 regime failed to correct the relevant nutritional deficiencies in Bangladeshi pregnant women as per protocol. Both dietary supplementation and high dose vitamin D corrected severe vitamin deficiency., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

First branchial cleft anomalies are embryological defect account for 8-10% of all branchial cleft defects. Approximately 17% of all Paediatric cervical masses are due to branchial anomalies. Despite of the fact that these anomalies are benign, secondary infection, positional effect and complication of treatment like surgery account for morbidity. Here one such case of 30 years old lady who presented to us with one discharging sinus in the floor of the right external auditory canal with a swelling in the upper neck for about 20 years. On examination showed one discharging sinus opening in the floor of right external auditory canal (EAC) and a cystic swelling in upper neck between sternomastoid and mandible. While compression over the swelling cheesy discharge comes out from EAC. MRI showed oval shaped fluid signal intensity lesion measuring about 4 × 2.1 × 1.6cm in right infra auricular region with slit like curvilinear tract about 10mm extending from upper part of the lesion opening into the antero-inferior part of external auditory canal at the junction of bony and cartilaginous part. Histopathology report showed a cyst lined by stratified squamous epithelium; wall is composed of fibrocollagenous tissue with mucous gland. The wall is densely infiltrated with lymphocytes forming lymphoid follicles at places. This paper presents a case report of collaural sinus from Otology unit, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.