Dietary Diversity and Its Contribution to the Magnitude of Anaemia among Pregnant Women:Evidence from Rural Areas of Western China

Background: Prenatal anaemia causes serious consequences for both mother and foetus, and dietary factors are suggested to be associated with anaemia. However, research in pregnant women living in rural areas is limited. We aim to assess the contribution of dietary diversity to the magnitude of prenatal anaemia in rural China and identify the interactions between dietary diversity and several sociodemographic and maternal characteristics in relation to anaemia. 'Methods: A multi-stage random cluster sampling method was used to select pregnant women in rural western China. The Woman’s Dietary Diversity Score was created to measure dietary diversity, which was recoded into terciles. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between dietary diversity score terciles and the magnitude of prenatal anaemia. Multiplicative interactions were tested by adding the product term of dietary diversity and several sociodemographic and maternal characteristics into the regression models. Results: Out of 969 participants, 54.3% were measured as anaemic, with 28.6% mildly anaemic and 25.7% moderately to severely anaemic. There was an absence of agreement between self-reported and measured anaemia status (κ = 0.28, 95% CI [0.22–0.34]). Participants in the highest dietary diversity score tercile had lower odds of being moderately to severely anaemic after adjusting for potential confounders (RRR = 0.65, 95% CI [0.44, 0.98]). In participants with moderate to severe anaemia, significant interactions were found between dietary diversity score terciles, age, and parity (p for interaction &lt; 0.05).Conclusions: The prevalence of prenatal anaemia in rural China remains high, and pregnant women living in these areas are insufficiently aware of their anaemia status. Improving dietary diversity is needed to manage prenatal anaemia in rural areas.</p

Maternal Dietary Diversity and Small for Gestational Age:The Effect Modification by Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain in a Prospective Study within Rural Sichuan, China (2021–2022)

Infants born small for gestational age (SGA) remains a significant global public health concern, with potential interconnections among maternal diet, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain (GWG), and SGA. This prospective study investigated the association between dietary diversity (DD) during pregnancy and the risk of SGA, as well as the synergistic effect of DD with pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG on SGA. Maternal dietary intake during pregnancy was assessed using 24 h dietary recalls, and dietary diversity scores (DDS) were calculated based on the FAO’s Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women index. Infant information was followed up. The Poisson regression model was employed to determine the association between maternal DD and SGA. Interactions between DD and pre-pregnancy BMI or GWG were evaluated under additive and multiplicative models. Among the 560 singleton live births, 62 (11.07%) were classified as SGA. After adjusting for potential confounders, the DDS exhibited a protective effect against SGA (aRR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.62–0.95). DD modified the association between being underweight prior to pregnancy and SGA on the additive scale (interaction contrast ratio = 7.39; 95% CI: 5.84, 8.94). These findings suggest that improving dietary diversity during pregnancy, particularly among women with a low pre-pregnancy BMI, may be a feasible strategy to reduce the risk of SGA newborns.</p

Conformal Robotic Stereolithography

Additive manufacturing by layerwise photopolymerization, commonly called stereolithography (SLA), is attractive due to its high resolution and diversity of materials chemistry. However, traditional SLA methods are restricted to planar substrates and planar layers that are perpendicular to a single-axis build direction. Here, we present a robotic system that is capable of maskless layerwise photopolymerization on curved surfaces, enabling production of large-area conformal patterns and the construction of conformal freeform objects. The system comprises an industrial six-axis robot and a custom-built maskless projector end effector. Use of the system involves creating a mesh representation of the freeform substrate, generation of a triangulated toolpath with curved layers that represents the target object to be printed, precision mounting of the substrate in the robot workspace, and robotic photopatterning of the target object by coordinated motion of the robot and substrate. We demonstrate printing of conformal photopatterns on spheres of various sizes, and construction of miniature three-dimensional objects on spheres without requiring support features. Improvement of the motion accuracy and development of freeform toolpaths would enable construction of polymer objects that surpass the size and support structure constraints imparted by traditional SLA systems.American Society for Engineering Education. National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate FellowshipNational Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (University of Michigan Microfluidics in Biomedical Sciences Training Program. 5T32-EB005582)Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART

Robot-assisted percutaneous screw fixation in the treatment of navicular fracture

BackgroundLong recovery time, large scar, postoperative swelling and pain are possible side effects of open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for tarsal navicular fractures. Early exercise instruction is made possible by the use of an intraoperative robot-assisted percutaneous invasive closed reduction internal fixation. The goal of the trial was to determine whether percutaneous screw internal fixation with robot assistance might be used to treat navicular fractures.Methods27 patients with navicular fractures had surgical treatment between June 2019 and December 2021. Of those, 20 instances were treated with ORIF, while 7 cases had robot-assisted percutaneous screw internal fixation. At the final follow-up, the American Orthopaedic Foot &amp; Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score were compared to determine outcomes and function.ResultsFollow-up was obtained in all 27 patients after surgery, with a mean follow-up time of 21.81 months, ranging from 15 to 29 months . In the 7 instances of robot-assisted group, percutaneous guide wire insertion and screw placement only needed one attempt and the depth and position of the implant were both satisfactory. In the ORIF group, there were two patients who sustained cutaneous nerve injuries. The AOFAS score and the VAS score of the group receiving robot-assisted navigation percutaneous screw fixation were 92.25 ± 2.22 and 0.75 ± 0.25 respectively at the last follow-up, while 82.25 ± 7.15 and 0.50 ± 0.29 were the respective values for the ORIF group.ConclusionIntraoperative robot-assisted percutaneous closed reduction internal fixation for tarsal navicular fractures can accomplish exact localization of fracture site, reduce soft tissue damage and operative time. According to current view, this method offers fewer complications, a faster recovery after surgery, and more patient satisfaction

Noticiário

In an attempt to achieve the selective oxidation of NOx, a hybrid catalyst of single-atom-anchored metal organic frameworks (MOF, NH2-UiO-66) and MnO2 was constructed and used in the plasma catalytic process. Isolated Ru sites were successfully implanted into the structure of the MOF by simply stirring the mixed liquor containing both MOF and RuCl3, facilitating plasma discharge, NO/NO2 adsorption, and formation of âOH radicals. A special oxo-bridged Zr4+-O-Ru3+ was constructed to accelerate electron transfer and continuous proceeding of the reaction. Directional migration of generated electrons from MOF to Ru sites was witnessed when MOF was activated by plasma-induced "pseudo-photocatalysis". The total (100%) selective plasma-catalytic oxidation of NOx to NO2- and NO3- was achieved at an SIE of 75.3 J/L. The byproduct O3 was effectively degraded and utilized by MnO2, facilitating the deep oxidation of NOx. The facile realization of single atoms would be an ideal way to produce MOF-based catalysts with desired performance. Efficiently combining plasma with single atom-decorated MOF catalysts can provide additional prospects for the plasma-catalytic system. </p

In-Hospital Formula Feeding Hindered Exclusive Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy as a Mediating Factor

Breastfeeding self-efficacy (BSE), defined as a mother’s confidence in her ability to breastfeed, has been confirmed to predict the uptake of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Early experiences during the birth hospital stay, especially in-hospital formula feeding (IHFF), can impact both EBF and maternal breastfeeding confidence. Therefore, our objective was to examine the association between IHFF and EBF outcomes and investigate whether this association is influenced by BSE. The study included 778 infants from a larger cohort study conducted in 2021, with a one-year follow-up in rural areas of Sichuan Province, China. We used a causal mediation analysis to estimate the total effect (TE), natural direct (NDE), and nature indirect effects (NIE) using the paramed command in Stata. Causal mediation analyses revealed that IHFF was negatively associated with EBF (TE odds ratio = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.76); 28% of this association was mediated by BSE. In the subgroup analysis, there were no significant differences in the effects between parity subgroups, as well as between infant delivery subgroups. Our study found that IHFF hindered later EBF and that BSE mediated this association. Limiting the occurrence of in-hospital formula feeding or improving maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy is likely to improve exclusive breastfeeding outcomes

Crustal Azimuthal Anisotropy Beneath the Central North China Craton Revealed by Receiver Functions

To characterize crustal anisotropy beneath the central North China Craton (CNCC), we apply a recently developed deconvolution approach to effectively remove near-surface reverberations in the receiver functions recorded at 200 broadband seismic stations and subsequently determine the fast orientation and the magnitude of crustal azimuthal anisotropy by fitting the sinusoidal moveout of the P to S converted phases from the Moho and intracrustal discontinuities. The magnitude of crustal anisotropy is found to range from 0.06 s to 0.54Â s, with an average of 0.25 ± 0.08Â s. Fault-parallel anisotropy in the seismically active Zhangjiakou-Penglai Fault Zone is significant and could be related to fluid-filled fractures. Historical strong earthquakes mainly occurred in the fault zone segments with significant crustal anisotropy, suggesting that the measured crustal anisotropy is closely related to the degree of crustal deformation. The observed spatial distribution of crustal anisotropy suggests that the northwestern terminus of the fault zone probably ends at about 114°E. Also observed is a sharp contrast in the fast orientations between the western and eastern Yanshan Uplifts separated by the North-South Gravity Lineament. The NW-SE trending anisotropy in the western Yanshan Uplift is attributable to fossil crustal anisotropy due to lithospheric extension of the CNCC, while extensional fluid-saturated microcracks induced by regional compressive stress are responsible for the observed ENE-WSW trending anisotropy in the eastern Yanshan Uplift. Comparison of crustal anisotropy measurements and previously determined upper mantle anisotropy implies that the degree of crust-mantle coupling in the CNCC varies spatially

Leveraging Data Analytics to Evaluate Proactive Interventions to Prevent Inventory Defects

At an automated fulfillment center typically used in the retail industry, products fallen from a robot-driven shelving pod could cause inventory quality issues and obstructions on the floor, reducing throughput. Leading indicators of fallen products are limited, resulting in a lack of targeted and proactive actions. This project aims to evaluate potential interventions to reduce fallen products based on computer vision signals, accounting for the cost, complexity, and effectiveness of the interventions. This project developed a framework to perform cost-benefit analyses for the potential interventions that could prevent inventory defects. Characteristics of multiple potential proactive interventions combined with multiple potential vision-based predictive signals form a complex solution space. We start by formulating a common basis of comparison for the options, focusing on how to measure, validate and quantify the effectiveness of the interventions. Experimental data will be derived from a hypothetical pilot that can be used to test hypotheses and evaluate intervention cost and benefit in the context of input signal characteristics and operational complexity. Quantifying the trade-offs and break-even points between use cases ultimately determines the project NPV or ROI hence helping to guide the optimal decision making. This thesis provides insights into how to leverage analytical tools to evaluate options through the case of preventing inventory defects. This framework could be generalized and applied to any system, be it in logistics or manufacturing, where there are potentially multiple predictive signals and multiple proactive interventions to improve operations.M.B.A.S.M