Quantitative assessment of self-management in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An unmet clinical need

In this editorial we comment on the article titled“Establishment and validation of an adherence prediction system for lifestyle interventions in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”by Zeng et al published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology.Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)represents one of the current challenges in hepatology and public health,due to its continuous growing prevalence and the rising incidence of NAFLD-related fibrosis,non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis.The only effective therapeutic strategy for this dis-ease is represented by encouraging patients to improve their lifestyle through the modification of dietary intake and increased physical exercise,but the effective application of such modifications is often limited by various factors such as lack of information,psychological barriers or poor social support.While poor adherence to a healthy lifestyle can be decisive in determining the clinical outcome,in daily practice there is a lack of quantitative instruments aimed at identifying patients with the lowest adherence to lifestyle changes and higher risk of disease progre-ssion in the course of follow-up.In this article,Zeng et al propose a quantitative scale to assess the grade of adherence of patients with NAFLD to hea-lthy lifestyle intervention,called the Exercise and Diet Adherence Scale(EDAS).This scale,consisting of 33 items divided into 6 dimensions which relates to six subjective aspects in the self-management of NAFLD,has shown a good correlation with the identification of the sub-cohort of patients with the highest reduction in caloric intake,increase in physical exercise,probability of a reduction in liver stiffness measurement and alanine aminotransferase levels.The cor-relation among clinical outcomes and specific dimensions of this scale also highlights the pivotal role of a good and confidential doctor-patient relationship and of an effective communication.There is an urgent need for practical and effective instruments to assess the grade of self-management of NAFLD patients,together with the development of multidisciplinary teams with the aim of applying structured behavioral interventions.

Effect of Diabetes Self-Management Education on Glycaemic Control in Sudanese Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Research Background: The high prevalence of diabetes in Sudan, estimated at 16%, highlights the importance of effective health education in diabetes management. Diabetes self-management education has been identified as a crucial tool in enhancing the knowledge, attitudes, and abilities necessary for self-management among individuals with diabetes. Aim: To assess the impact of diabetes self-management education on medication adherence and glycemic control in Sudanese adults with type 2 diabetes before and 3 months after the DSME intervention. Method: The study was conducted in Sudan between September 2022 and March 2023, it was an interventional, one-group, pre- and post-test study that aimed to assess the impact of diabetes self-management education (DSME) on medication adherence and diabetes control in Sudanese adults with type 2 diabetes. The research was conducted in primary health care centers in six cities in Sudan and involved 244 participants. The data entry and statistical analysis were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27.0. A paired t test was used for analysis. Results: The study included 244 participants, 67% of whom were males. The age mean ± SD was 48.6 ± 9.3 years, and 85.3% of participants were married. Age at onset of diabetes mean ± SD was 40.60 ± 7.81 years;44.6% had diabetes for less than 5 years;and 84.1% had a positive family history of diabetes mellitus. The levels of poor, low, and partial adherence to medication decreased by 8.2%, 4%, and 20.6%, respectively, after the intervention. The levels of good and high medication regime adherence increased by 13% and 19.8%, respectively;BMI decreased by 1.1 ± 0.73 kg/m2 (p = 0.005). The fasting blood sugar decreased by 69 ± 32.9 mg/dl (p = 0.049), and the glycated hemoglobin decreased by 1.21 ± 0.28% (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study reinforce the importance of patient education in improving glycemic control and enhancing self-management behaviors. Patient education plays a critical role in enhancing glycemic control and self-management behaviors. It is essential for healthcare providers to adopt a patient-centered approach, taking into account the individual's beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about their illness and treatment. Overcoming these challenges necessitates a comprehensive approach, including enhancing healthcare professionals’ knowledge and communication skills, offering accessible and culturally sensitive diabetes education programs, and addressing barriers to resources and support for self-management.

Application Effect of WeChat Platform Continuity of Care Model Based on KAP Theory on Self-Management of Stroke Patients with Hypertension

Objective: To explore the impact of the WeChat platform continuity of care model based on the KAP (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) theory on the self-management of stroke patients with hypertension after discharge from the hospital. Methods: 62 stroke patients with hypertension discharged from the rehabilitation department of a tertiary A hospital in Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from October 2022 to April 2023 were sampled by convenience sampling method. Patients discharged from Rehabilitation I were included in the control group, and conventional nursing care was used;while patients discharged from Rehabilitation II were included in the observation group, and WeChat platform continuity of nursing care model based on the KAP theory was implemented. The intervention effect of the two groups was compared. Results: After 4 and 12 weeks of intervention, the diastolic and systolic blood pressure of the patients in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05);after 12 weeks of intervention, the rate of medication adherence and the score of adherence to hypertension treatment in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The application of the WeChat platform continuity of care model based on KAP theory to stroke patients with hypertension can improve blood pressure, medication adherence rate, hypertension treatment adherence, and overall enhance the self-management level of these patients.

Conceptual Analysis of Self-Management in Patients with Hypertension

Objective:To clarify the concept of self-management in hypertensive patients by analyzing the definition,attributes,and measurement tools through a literature review.Methods:An Internet-based search of the databases was conducted using Academic Search Complete,Medical Line,CINAHL,Health Source:Nursing/Scholarly Edition,and Google Scholar.In the search process,keywords or free text were combined by using Boolean operators,with the search terms“self of management”or“self-management,”“concept*analysis”or“concept*definition,”and Walker and Avant’s concept analysis method was used.Results:Analysis of relevant literature summarized the conceptual attributes of self-management in hypertensive patients as the active participation of patients in the treatment process;the presence of interaction provided by patients and health care providers;the use of certain health management tools;and the aim of maintaining and improving the health status and living capacity of hypertensive patients.Conclusion:The concept of self-management for hypertensive patients was clarified,which helps to promote the application of hypertensive self-management in clinical work and improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with hypertension.

Factors related to self-management behavior among persons with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Wenzhou,China

Objective:To describe the self-management(SM)behavior among persons with mild-to-moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),and it examines the correlation between COPD knowledge,self-efficacy,perceived social support,and SM behavior among persons with mild-to-moderate COPD in Wenzhou,China.Methods:A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit 121 persons with mild-to-moderate COPD who visited the respiratory outpatient department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in Wenzhou,China.Research instruments include a demographic data questionnaire,COPD SM scale,COPD knowledge questionnaire,6-item chronic disease self-efficacy scale,and perceived social suppor t scale.Descriptive statistics and Pearson's Correlation were used for data analysis.Results:The findings show that the mean score of COPD SM scale was 2.70(SD=0.45).The Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the COPD knowledge(r=0.47,P<0.001),self-efficacy(r=0.28,P=0.001),and perceived social support(r=0.48,P<0.001)were positively correlated to the COPD SM behavior among persons with mild-to-moderate COPD in Wenzhou,China.Conclusions:The findings indicate that disease knowledge,self-efficacy,and perceived social support were related to SM behavior in persons with mild-to-moderate COPD,which provides a theoretical basis for developing SM interventions for persons with mildto-moderate COPD and improving this population's SM behavior.

Longitudinal changes in body weight of breastfeeding mothers in the first year after delivery and its relationship with human milk composition:a combined longitudinal and cross-sectional cohort study

Objective:Postpartum weight retention(PPWR)is a common problem among women after childbirth.The main objectives of this study are to understand the changes in body weight of breastfeeding mothers during long-term follow-up and preliminarily explore the relationship between maternal body weight and human milk composition,including macronutrients,leptin,and adiponectin.Methods:The study included a longitudinal cohort(122 mothers),and a cross-sectional cohort(37 mothers).The human milk,maternal weight,and dietary surveys were collected in the longitudinal cohort at different follow-up time points(1-14 days postpartum,2-4 months postpartum,5-7 months postpartum,and 12-17 months postpartum).The maternal body weight was analyzed using the responses in the survey questionnaires.A milk analyzer based on the mid-infrared spectroscopy(MIRS)was used to determine milk composition,and nutrition analysis software evaluated dietary intakes.In the cross-sectional cohort,participating mothers were asked to provide blood and human milk samples and pertinent information related to maternal body composition.Maternal body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis(BIA),while ELISA analyzed leptin and adiponectin in milk and serum.Results:At 5-7 months postpartum,the PPWR of breastfeeding mothers was(2.46±3.59)kg.At 12-17 months postpartum,the PPWR was(0.98±4.06)kg.PPWR was found to be negatively correlated with milk fat content within 14 days postpartum and positively correlated at 2-4 months postpartum.In addition,the maternal weight and body muscle mass were positively correlated with leptin and adiponectin in milk.Plasma leptin was positively correlated with the mother’s body weight,body mass index(BMI),FAT percentage,and body fat mass,while plasma adiponectin did not correlate with any parameter.The results also indicate that the PPWR did not correlate with leptin and adiponectin in plasma or milk.Conclusions:Breastfeeding mothers may retain considerable weight gain one year after delivery.Human milk composition may be related to changes in maternal body weight.Leptin and adiponectin in breast milk and leptin in plasma are associated with the maternal body composition.This study supports the notion that maternal nutritional status may affect offspring health through lactation,and future research should focus on exploring weight management of postpartum mothers.

Orbit Weighting Scheme in the Context of Vector Space Information Retrieval

This study introduces the Orbit Weighting Scheme(OWS),a novel approach aimed at enhancing the precision and efficiency of Vector Space information retrieval(IR)models,which have traditionally relied on weighting schemes like tf-idf and BM25.These conventional methods often struggle with accurately capturing document relevance,leading to inefficiencies in both retrieval performance and index size management.OWS proposes a dynamic weighting mechanism that evaluates the significance of terms based on their orbital position within the vector space,emphasizing term relationships and distribution patterns overlooked by existing models.Our research focuses on evaluating OWS’s impact on model accuracy using Information Retrieval metrics like Recall,Precision,InterpolatedAverage Precision(IAP),andMeanAverage Precision(MAP).Additionally,we assessOWS’s effectiveness in reducing the inverted index size,crucial for model efficiency.We compare OWS-based retrieval models against others using different schemes,including tf-idf variations and BM25Delta.Results reveal OWS’s superiority,achieving a 54%Recall and 81%MAP,and a notable 38%reduction in the inverted index size.This highlights OWS’s potential in optimizing retrieval processes and underscores the need for further research in this underrepresented area to fully leverage OWS’s capabilities in information retrieval methodologies.

Optimal investment based on relative performance and weighted utility

This paper studies the optimal portfolio allocation of a fund manager when he bases decisions on both the absolute level of terminal relative performance and the change value of terminal relative performance comparison to a predefined reference point. We find the optimal investment strategy by maximizing a weighted average utility of a concave utility and an Sshaped utility via a concavification technique and the martingale method. Numerical results are carried out to show the impact of the extent to which the manager pays attention to the change of relative performance related to the reference point on the optimal terminal relative performance.

Effect of Molecular Weight on Thermoelectric Performance of P3HT Analogues with 2-Propoxyethyl Side Chains

By replacing hexyl chains in poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)with 2-propoxyethyls,four poly(3-(2-propoxyethyl)thiophene)(P3POET)homopolymers with comparable polydispersity indexes(PDI)and regioregularities were prepared herein in addition with step increment of about 7 kDa on numberaverage molecular weight(M_(n))from around 11 to 32 kDa(accordingly denoted as P11k,P18k,P25k,and P32k).When doped in film by FeCl_(3)at the optimized conditions,the maximum power factor(PF_(max))increases greatly from 4.3μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P11k to 8.8μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P18k,and further to 9.7μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P25k,followed by a slight decrease to 9.2μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P32k.The close Seebeck coefficients(S)at PF_(max)are observed in these doped polymer films due to their consistent frontier orbital energy levels and Fermi levels.The main contribution to this PF_(max)evolution thus comes from the corresponding conductivities(σ).Theσvariation of the doped films can be rationally correlated with their microstructure evolution.

A redundant subspace weighting procedure for clock ensemble

A redundant-subspace-weighting(RSW)-based approach is proposed to enhance the frequency stability on a time scale of a clock ensemble.In this method,multiple overlapping subspaces are constructed in the clock ensemble,and the weight of each clock in this ensemble is defined by using the spatial covariance matrix.The superimposition average of covariances in different subspaces reduces the correlations between clocks in the same laboratory to some extent.After optimizing the parameters of this weighting procedure,the frequency stabilities of virtual clock ensembles are significantly improved in most cases.

Curve Classification Based onMean-Variance Feature Weighting and Its Application

The classification of functional data has drawn much attention in recent years.The main challenge is representing infinite-dimensional functional data by finite-dimensional features while utilizing those features to achieve better classification accuracy.In this paper,we propose a mean-variance-based(MV)feature weighting method for classifying functional data or functional curves.In the feature extraction stage,each sample curve is approximated by B-splines to transfer features to the coefficients of the spline basis.After that,a feature weighting approach based on statistical principles is introduced by comprehensively considering the between-class differences and within-class variations of the coefficients.We also introduce a scaling parameter to adjust the gap between the weights of features.The new feature weighting approach can adaptively enhance noteworthy local features while mitigating the impact of confusing features.The algorithms for feature weighted K-nearest neighbor and support vector machine classifiers are both provided.Moreover,the new approach can be well integrated into existing functional data classifiers,such as the generalized functional linear model and functional linear discriminant analysis,resulting in a more accurate classification.The performance of the mean-variance-based classifiers is evaluated by simulation studies and real data.The results show that the newfeatureweighting approach significantly improves the classification accuracy for complex functional data.

Genetic dissection and validation of a major QTL for grain weight on chromosome 3B in bread wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)

Grain weight is one of the key components of wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)yield.Genetic manipulation of grain weight is an efficient approach for improving yield potential in breeding programs.A recombinant inbred line(RIL)population derived from a cross between W7268 and Chuanyu 12(CY12)was employed to detect quantitative trait loci(QTLs)for thousand-grain weight(TGW),grain length(GL),grain width(GW),and the ratio of grain length to width(GLW)in six environments.Seven major QTLs,QGl.cib-2D,QGw.cib-2D,QGw.cib-3B,QGw.cib-4B.1,QGlw.cib-2D.1,QTgw.cib-2D.1 and QTgw.cib-3B.1,were consistently identified in at least four environments and the best linear unbiased estimation(BLUE)datasets,and they explained 2.61 to 34.85%of the phenotypic variance.Significant interactions were detected between the two major TGW QTLs and three major GW loci.In addition,QTgw.cib-3B.1 and QGw.cib-3B were co-located,and the improved TGW at this locus was contributed by GW.Unlike other loci,QTgw.cib-3B.1/QGw.cib-3B had no effect on grain number per spike(GNS).They were further validated in advanced lines using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR(KASP)markers,and a comparison analysis indicated that QTgw.cib-3B.1/QGw.cib-3B is likely a novel locus.Six haplotypes were identified in the region of this QTL and their distribution frequencies varied between the landraces and cultivars.According to gene annotation,spatial expression patterns,ortholog analysis and sequence variation,the candidate gene of QTgw.cib-3B.1/QGw.cib-3B was predicted.Collectively,the major QTLs and KASP markers reported here provide valuable information for elucidating the genetic architecture of grain weight and for molecular marker-assisted breeding in grain yield improvement.

Spatial search weighting information contained in cell velocity distribution

Cell migration plays a significant role in physiological and pathological processes.Understanding the characteristics of cell movement is crucial for comprehending biological processes such as cell functionality,cell migration,and cell–cell interactions.One of the fundamental characteristics of cell movement is the specific distribution of cell speed,containing valuable information that still requires comprehensive understanding.This article investigates the distribution of mean velocities along cell trajectories,with a focus on optimizing the efficiency of cell food search in the context of the entire colony.We confirm that the specific velocity distribution in the experiments corresponds to an optimal search efficiency when spatial weighting is considered.The simulation results indicate that the distribution of average velocity does not align with the optimal search efficiency when employing average spatial weighting.However,when considering the distribution of central spatial weighting,the specific velocity distribution in the experiment is shown to correspond to the optimal search efficiency.Our simulations reveal that for any given distribution of average velocity,a specific central spatial weighting can be identified among the possible central spatial weighting that aligns with the optimal search strategy.Additionally,our work presents a method for determining the spatial weights embedded in the velocity distribution of cell movement.Our results have provided new avenues for further investigation of significant topics,such as relationship between cell behavior and environmental conditions throughout their evolutionary history,and how cells achieve collective cooperation through cell-cell communication.

Chemical modification of barite for improving the performance of weighting materials for water-based drilling fluids

With increasing drilling depth and large dosage of weighting materials,drilling fluids with high solid content are characterized by poor stability,high viscosity,large water loss,and thick mud cake,easier leading to reservoir damage and wellbore instability.In this paper,micronized barite(MB)was modified(mMB)by grafting with hydrophilic polymer onto the surface through the free radical polymerization to displace conventional API barite partly.The suspension stability of water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs)weighted with API barite:mMB=2:1 in 600 g was significantly enhanced compared with that with API barite/WBDFs,exhibiting the static sag factor within 0.54 and the whole stability index of 2.The viscosity and yield point reached the minimum,with a reduction of more than 40%compared with API barite only at the same density.Through multi-stage filling and dense accumulation of weighting materials and clays,filtration loss was decreased,mud cake quality was improved,and simultaneously it had great reservoir protection performance,and the permeability recovery rate reached 87%.In addition,it also effectively improved the lubricity of WBDFs.The sticking coefficient of mud cake was reduced by 53.4%,and the friction coefficient was 0.2603.Therefore,mMB can serve as a versatile additive to control the density,rheology,filtration,and stability of WBDFs weighted with API barite,thus regulating comprehensive performance and achieving reservoir protection capacity.This work opened up a new path for the productive drilling of extremely deep and intricate wells by providing an efficient method for managing the performance of high-density WBDFs.

The Weighted Basis for PHT-Splines

PHT-splines are defined as polynomial splines over hierarchical T-meshes with very efficient local refinement properties.The original PHT-spline basis functions constructed by the truncation mechanism have a decay phenomenon,resulting in numerical instability.The non-decay basis functions are constructed as the B-splines that are defined on the 2×2 tensor product meshes associated with basis vertices in Kang et al.,but at the cost of losing the partition of unity.In the field of finite element analysis and topology optimization,forming the partition of unity is the default ingredient for constructing basis functions of approximate spaces.In this paper,we will show that the non-decay PHT-spline basis functions proposed by Kang et al.can be appropriately modified to form a partition of unity.Each non-decay basis function is multiplied by a positive weight to form the weighted basis.The weights are solved such that the sum of weighted bases is equal to 1 on the domain.We provide two methods for calculatingweights,based on geometric information of basis functions and the subdivision of PHT-splines.Weights are given in the form of explicit formulas and can be efficiently calculated.We also prove that the weights on the admissible hierarchical T-meshes are positive.

Low Birth Weight in Cameroon: Research and Analysis of Factors Associated with Their Occurrence in Douala Maternity Wards

Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a birth weight strictly below 2500 g, whatever the term of pregnancy. It constitutes a major public health problem, both in developed and developing countries, due to its magnitude and its strong association with infant morbidity and mortality. Main objective was to study the factors associated with the occurrence of small-for-gestational-age newborns in Douala. Methodology: We carried out a cross-sectional analytical study with prospective data collection using a technical pretested sheet in the maternity wards of the Douala General Hospital, the Laquintinie Hospital, and the District hospitals of Deido, Nylon and Bonassama over a period of 4 months (January to April 2020). We were interested in any newborn, born alive, vaginally or by cesarean section, of low weight, seen in the first 24 hours from a full-term single-fetal pregnancy whose mother had given her consent. Our sampling was consecutive and non-exhaustive. We excluded newborns whose term was unclear and those with congenital malformations or signs of embryo-foetopathy. Data collection was done using survey sheets. Statistical analyzes were carried out with CS Pro 7.3 and SPSS version 25.0 software. The Student, Chi-square and Fischer tests were used to compare the means of the variables, the percentages with a significance threshold P value Results: During the study period, 305 full-term newborns were included, divided into 172 boys and 133 girls. The percentage of small-for-gestational-age newborns was 9.8%;after multivariate analysis by logistic regression to eliminate confounding factors, we found maternal factors associated with small for gestational age newborns;maternal age less than 20 years, primiparity, gestational age (37 - 38), a delay in prenatal visits greater than 14 weeks, anemia in pregnancy, positive toxoplasmosis serology in pregnancy, a body mass index of Conclusion: Our study revealed the potential determinants of low birth weight at term in the Cameroonian urban context and specifically in Douala.

An Improved Solov2 Based on Attention Mechanism and Weighted Loss Function for Electrical Equipment Instance Segmentation

The current existing problem of deep learning framework for the detection and segmentation of electrical equipment is dominantly related to low precision.Because of the reliable,safe and easy-to-operate technology provided by deep learning-based video surveillance for unmanned inspection of electrical equipment,this paper uses the bottleneck attention module(BAM)attention mechanism to improve the Solov2 model and proposes a new electrical equipment segmentation mode.Firstly,the BAM attention mechanism is integrated into the feature extraction network to adaptively learn the correlation between feature channels,thereby improving the expression ability of the feature map;secondly,the weighted sum of CrossEntropy Loss and Dice loss is designed as the mask loss to improve the segmentation accuracy and robustness of the model;finally,the non-maximal suppression(NMS)algorithm to better handle the overlap problem in instance segmentation.Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves an average segmentation accuracy of mAP of 80.4% on three types of electrical equipment datasets,including transformers,insulators and voltage transformers,which improve the detection accuracy by more than 5.7% compared with the original Solov2 model.The segmentation model proposed can provide a focusing technical means for the intelligent management of power systems.

Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression in Assessing Dengue Fever Spread Factors in Yunnan Border Regions

Objective This study employs the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression(GTWR)model to assess the impact of meteorological elements and imported cases on dengue fever outbreaks,emphasizing the spatial-temporal variability of these factors in border regions.Methods We conducted a descriptive analysis of dengue fever’s temporal-spatial distribution in Yunnan border areas.Utilizing annual data from 2013 to 2019,with each county in the Yunnan border serving as a spatial unit,we constructed a GTWR model to investigate the determinants of dengue fever and their spatio-temporal heterogeneity in this region.Results The GTWR model,proving more effective than Ordinary Least Squares(OLS)analysis,identified significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity in factors influencing dengue fever’s spread along the Yunnan border.Notably,the GTWR model revealed a substantial variation in the relationship between indigenous dengue fever incidence,meteorological variables,and imported cases across different counties.Conclusion In the Yunnan border areas,local dengue incidence is affected by temperature,humidity,precipitation,wind speed,and imported cases,with these factors’influence exhibiting notable spatial and temporal variation.

Low Birth Weight and Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnant Women in Lomé (Togo) in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Since 2012, the World Health Organization has recommended intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) to prevent malaria-related complications in pregnant women. Ten years following these recommendations, we conducted this study to estimate the coverage for three doses of IPT-SP (IPT3) as well as the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW), and its associated factors in Lomé (Togo) in 2021. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2021. An exhaustive recruitment of women and their newborns was carried out in the maternity wards of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Center. Data from antenatal consultations and clinical data of the newborns were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was carried out to determine factors associated with LBW. Results: A total of 252 mother-child pairs were included in this study. Median age of the mothers was 27 years, IQR [24-31]. More than a third (35.3%) of the mothers were primigravida. IPT3 coverage was 66.7% and 14.7% of newborns had a LBW. The prevalence of LBW was 33.3% [23.3-43.4] in women who had received fewer than 3 doses of IPT-SP and 5.4% [2.0-8.8] in those who had received at least 3 doses of IPT-SP (p Conclusion: Ten years following recommendations of the WHO on IPT-SP, malaria prevention based on IPT-SP is not optimal among pregnant women in Lomé, and the proportion of LBW children remains high. Actions to strengthen the three-dose IPT-SP policy are needed to prevent malaria and its consequences among newborns in Togo.

Effects of low molecular weight polysaccharide from Sargassum thunbergii against palmitic acid-induced intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocyte and HepG2 cells

Low molecular weight polysaccharides can be isolated from Sargassum thunbergii(LMPST)and in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects on lipids.Two natures of LMPST were attained from S.thunbergii and appraised their LMPST on palmitic acid(PA)induced lipid accretion in Hep G2,and 3T3-L1 cells.LMPST treatment lessened lipid deposition and intracellular free fatty acid and triglyceride intensities in PA-treated above mentioned cells.The mechanistic study publicized that LMPST2 significantly suppressed adipogenesis and stimulated the PA-treated 3T3-L1 cells occupied in the lipolysis pathway.Furthermore,in PA-treated Hep G2 cells,the free fatty acid oxidation was significantly increased by LMPST2.Given these constructive properties of LMPST2 from S.thunbergii,is a potential candidate for diminishing the intracellular lipids,and for a therapeutic agent in those conditions.