1,237 research outputs found
The role of early pregnancy maternal pGCD59 levels in predicting neonatal hypoglycaemia- sub-analysis of the DALI study
No full textThe aim of this study was to assess the association between early pregnancy maternal levels of plasma glycated CD59 (pGCD59) and neonatal hypoglycaemia (NH)
The Predictive Value of miR-16, -29a and -134 for Early Identification of Gestational Diabetes:A Nested Analysis of the DALI Cohort
No full textEarly identification of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) aims to reduce the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Currently, no circulating biomarker has proven clinically useful for accurate prediction of GDM. In this study, we tested if a panel of small non-coding circulating RNAs could improve early prediction of GDM. We performed a nested case-control study of participants from the European multicenter 'Vitamin D and lifestyle intervention for GDM prevention (DALI)' trial using serum samples from obese pregnant women (BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2) entailing 82 GDM cases (early- and late- GDM), and 41 age- and BMI-matched women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) throughout pregnancy (controls). Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical characteristics were obtained at baseline (<20 weeks of gestation) and throughout gestation. Baseline serum microRNAs (miRNAs) were measured using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). Elevated miR-16-5p, -29a-3p, and -134-5p levels were observed in women, who were NGT at baseline and later developed GDM, compared with controls who remained NGT. A combination of the three miRNAs could distinguish later GDM from NGT cases (AUC 0.717, p = 0.001, compared with fasting plasma glucose (AUC 0.687, p = 0.004)) as evaluated by area under the curves (AUCs) using Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) analysis. Elevated levels of individual miRNAs or a combination hereof were associated with higher odds ratios of GDM. Conclusively, circulating miRNAs early in pregnancy could serve as valuable predictive biomarkers of GDM.</p
Assessing the Practice and Challenges of Group Work in English Speaking Classroom in Dawro Zone: In the Case of Dali Secondary School
No full textEnglish language plays significant roles in various fields like academic success, science innovation, business process, social interaction and for economic purposes. This study was conducted in Dawro Zone Southern Ethiopia with assessing the Practice and Challenges of Group Work in English Speaking Classroom in Dawro Zone: the case of Dali Secondary School. To achieve the purpose of this study, a descriptive research design was employed. For this study Dali secondary school in Essera district by employing purposive sampling technique. Similarly, Grade 9and 10 classes were selected from selected school through purposive sampling method. Students were selected from selected school through simple random sampling (lottery method). A total of 222 students, were selected for this study. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to describe the finding. Open and close ended questionnaires were prepared and used to collect primary data from the respondents. The findings of this study based on teachers of Dali Secondary School, they were not give clear instruction, motivate, encourage, and do not give their students with appropriate speaking activities and rarely use group work to teach English speaking were identified as impeding factor of group work practice in English speaking classrooms of the target school. Majority of the respondents revealed that they lack confidence, worry to speak in the target language freely and to express their ideas in the language and the opportunity given them to practice English speaking in group was not sufficient and they frequently taught in teacher-centered method. It is thus recommended that all concerned bodies or stakeholders such as Dali Secondary School, Woreda Education Office and Zonal Education Department should give due attention to reduce challenges by creating the suitable condition. Keywords: challenges, speaking, Dawro DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/82-02 Publication date:October 31st 202
The Temporal Profile of Circulating miRNAs during Gestation in Overweight and Obese Women with or without Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
No full textCirculating non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) are important for placentation, but their expression profiles across gestation in pregnancies, which are complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), have not been fully established. Investigating a single time point is insufficient, as pregnancy is dynamic, involving several processes, including placenta development, trophoblast proliferation and differentiation and oxygen sensing. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the temporal expression of serum miRNAs in pregnant women with and without GDM. This is a nested case-control study of longitudinal data obtained from a multicentric European study (the ‘DALI’ study). All women (n = 82) were overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2) and were normal glucose tolerant (NGT) at baseline (before 20 weeks of gestation). We selected women (n = 41) who were diagnosed with GDM at 24–28 weeks, according to the IADPSG/WHO2013 criteria. They were matched with 41 women who remained NGT in their pregnancy. miRNA (miR-16-5p, -29a-3p, -103-3p, -134-5p, -122-5p, -223-3p, -330-3p and miR-433-3p) were selected based on their suggested importance for placentation, and measurements were performed at baseline and at 24–28 and 35–37 weeks of gestation. Women with GDM presented with overall miRNA levels above those observed for women remaining NGT. In both groups, levels of miR-29a-3p and miR-134-5p increased consistently with progressing gestation. The change over time only differed for miR-29a-3p when comparing women with GDM with those remaining NGT (p = 0.044). Our findings indicate that among overweight/obese women who later develop GDM, miRNA levels are already elevated early in pregnancy and remain above those of women who remain NGT during their pregnancy. Maternal circulating miRNAs may provide further insight into placentation and the cross talk between the maternal and fetal compartments
Is prolonged infusion of piperacillin/tazobactam and meropenem in critically ill patients associated with improved pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and patient outcomes? : an observation from the Defining Antibiotic Levels in Intensive care unit patients (DALI) cohort
No full textObjectives:We utilized the database of the Defining Antibiotic Levels in Intensive care unit patients (DALI) study to statistically compare the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and clinical outcomes between prolonged-infusion and intermittent-bolus dosing of piperacillin/tazobactam and meropenem in critically ill patients using inclusion criteria similar to those used in previous prospective studies.
Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a prospective, multicentre pharmacokinetic point-prevalence study (DALI), which recruited a large cohort of critically ill patients from 68 ICUs across 10 countries.
Results: Of the 211 patients receiving piperacillin/tazobactam and meropenem in the DALI study, 182 met inclusion criteria. Overall, 89.0% (162/182) of patients achieved the most conservative target of 50% fT(> MIC) (time over which unbound or free drug concentration remains above the MIC). Decreasing creatinine clearance and the use of prolonged infusion significantly increased the PTA for most pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic targets. In the subgroup of patients who had respiratory infection, patients receiving beta-lactams via prolonged infusion demonstrated significantly better 30 day survival when compared with intermittent-bolus patients [86.2% (25/29) versus 56.7% (17/30); P=0.012]. Additionally, in patients with a SOFA score of >= 9, administration by prolonged infusion compared with intermittent-bolus dosing demonstrated significantly better clinical cure [73.3% (11/15) versus 35.0% (7/20); P=0.035] and survival rates [73.3% (11/15) versus 25.0% (5/20); P=0.025].
Conclusions: Analysis of this large dataset has provided additional data on the niche benefits of administration of piperacillin/tazobactam and meropenem by prolonged infusion in critically ill patients, particularly for patients with respiratory infections
Spatial and temporal variation of phytoplankton functional groups in extremely alkaline Dali Nur Lake, North China
No full textIn this study, the concept of phytoplankton functional groups was used to assess phytoplankton community structure in an attempt to better understand their spatial and seasonal variation in extremely alkaline Dali Nur Lake. Samples were collected for analysis during spring, summer and autumn for a period of two years. We identified 13 phytoplankton functional groups (Lo, S1, H1, P, C, MP, X3, Y, X2, W1, J, F, and T) among 37 species out of which 7 groups Lo, H1, P, C, MP, X2, and F were dominant. The biomass of phytoplankton functional groups in the Lake exhibited a strong seasonal variation with the highest biomass value observed in autumn and lowest in spring. Functional groups MP, P, and C were dominant in spring when the temperatures were very low. Groups H1 and X2 were the dominant in summer corresponding to higher temperatures. In autumn groups Lo and X2 were the dominant corresponding to high levels of total phosphorus (TP). Our study revealed that alkalinity, pH, arsenic, chemical oxygen demand, and TP are the most important physical–chemical variables structuring the phytoplankton functional groups in Dali Nur Lake. Functional groups Lo and X2 were mainly influenced by TP while groups MP and P flourished better under high conditions of arsenic. This study reveals the importance of physical–chemical variables in the spatial and seasonal gradient, in structuring phytoplankton functional groups, and consequently in the assessment of environmental status of the lake
Assessment of agricultural sustainability performance in Dali Prefecture, China using the DPSIR Model
No full textUrbanization and ecological efforts in China have significantly altered agricultural land use affecting both the quantity and quality of arable land. There has been a rise in the use of energy, fertilizers, pesticides, and plastic films to enhance production. However, these unsustainable farming practices have led to higher greenhouse gas emissions and the risk of agricultural non-point source pollution. The Yunnan Province government aims for sustainable agriculture to enhance product quality and China’s green farming. Yunnan’s proximity to the Yangtze, Lancang, and Yuan Rivers makes agriculture vital for the downstream livelihoods and biodiversity. This study explored factors affecting agriculture in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province. The study proposed a comprehensive system of 33 indexes to assess agricultural sustainability performance using the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework. It employed a composite weight method combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Entropy Weight methods. The assessment showed that all counties except Dali City scored a performance index below 0.5. Furthermore, the “Response” indicator was found to be crucial in advancing agricultural sustainability. Conversely, factors leading to unsustainable changes, like “Driver” were less significant. The study reveals that data statistics prioritize indexes related to land resources while experts emphasize indexes linked to socioeconomic status when assessing agricultural sustainability
The Predictive Value of miR-16, -29a and -134 for Early Identification of Gestational Diabetes: A Nested Analysis of the DALI Cohort
No full textEarly identification of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) aims to reduce the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Currently, no circulating biomarker has proven clinically useful for accurate prediction of GDM. In this study, we tested if a panel of small non-coding circulating RNAs could improve early prediction of GDM. We performed a nested case-control study of participants from the European multicenter ‘Vitamin D and lifestyle intervention for GDM prevention (DALI)’ trial using serum samples from obese pregnant women (BMI ≥ 29 kg/m2) entailing 82 GDM cases (early- and late- GDM), and 41 age- and BMI-matched women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) throughout pregnancy (controls). Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical characteristics were obtained at baseline (<20 weeks of gestation) and throughout gestation. Baseline serum microRNAs (miRNAs) were measured using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). Elevated miR-16-5p, -29a-3p, and -134-5p levels were observed in women, who were NGT at baseline and later developed GDM, compared with controls who remained NGT. A combination of the three miRNAs could distinguish later GDM from NGT cases (AUC 0.717, p = 0.001, compared with fasting plasma glucose (AUC 0.687, p = 0.004)) as evaluated by area under the curves (AUCs) using Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) analysis. Elevated levels of individual miRNAs or a combination hereof were associated with higher odds ratios of GDM. Conclusively, circulating miRNAs early in pregnancy could serve as valuable predictive biomarkers of GDM
Local Traditional Knowledge in Its Urban Context: A Case Study of Bai Ethnic Minority in Dali, China
No full textAs China experiences rapid urbanization, local traditional knowledge (LTK) has been increasingly brought to the public’s attention as a significant feature of cultural identity and inclusiveness. Especially in the ethnic minority areas, it is important to respect LTK so that the cultural identity and social cohesion of ethnic minorities can be sustained in an increasingly urbanized environment. The objective of this research is to explore the incorporation of LTK during the process of urbanizing China’s ethnic minority regions from the perspective of residents. Using Dali City as a case study, this dissertation investigates local Bai people’s perspective on LTK with urbanization in mind. Questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and daily field observations are employed to examine how Bai LTK is impacting Dali’s cultural landscape.
Based on the questionnaire surveys answered by 80 Bai people, this research finds that Dali has a well-preserved Bai cultural landscape. Complementary to the questionnaire findings, the focus group data and daily field observations provide robust conclusions on how local Bai people perceive the preservation of their culture. Respondents placed a high cultural value on Bai language, traditional architecture, and traditional festivals. Nonetheless, a discrepancy is evident between participants’ preferences regarding the conservation of Bai traditions, which reveals the culture preservation is facing challenges.
By demonstrating that there are profound differences in Bai LTK conservation between the urban and rural areas, this study contributes to more realistic descriptions of the impact of urbanization in Dali. Particularly, it captures the cultural processes which transform the built environment and reveals a better strategy to integrate LTK with urban development. The decision-making process for ethnic culture preservation is highly complicated and refers to achieving a benefit equilibrium for every stakeholder using a more participative approach. LTK indicates an intrinsic value to a livable city and is instrumental in an inclusive urbanism. The research findings assert a better understanding of culture preservation from the perspective of Bai people in Dali and shed light on the interplay between LTK and sustainable development in the ethnic minority region
Safety of psychotropic medications in pregnancy: An observational cohort study
No full textObjective: The question of harmfulness of the psychiatric drugs creates a major dilemma for pregnant women. The risks associated with prenatal psychotropic drug exposure are often overestimated. It is unclear that psychotropic medication or disorders themselves increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The purpose of this study is to generate data about the safety of psychotropic drugs in pregnancy and maternal characteristics of the pregnant women exposed to these drugs. Method: An observational cohort study was performed. Pregnancy outcomes of 135 pregnancies after psychotropic drug exposure are compared to a control group of 275 pregnancies. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in rates of major malformations, miscarriages, and preterm deliveries between the two groups. However, the rate of elective abortions was higher in the exposed group compared to the control group (11.1% vs. 5.1%, respectively; RR 2.18; 95% CI: 1.09-4.39), and most of them were nulliparous (45.2%). The majority of the pregnant women did not smoke cigarettes and no alcohol consumption was reported in both groups. Conclusion: Our study showed that there was a tendency to terminate pregnancy among women exposed to psychotropic drugs. An accurate risk assessment about drug safety and informing pregnant women would help to prevent unnecessary terminations of pregnancies. © 2016, Cukurova Univ Tip Fakultesi Psikiyatri Anabilim Dali. All rights reserved
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