Placental growth factor as a predictive marker of preeclampsia in twin pregnancy.

Objectives: Placental growth factor (PlGF) has been reported as a good biomaker for the prediction of preeclampsia occurring in the short term in singleton pregnancies, in women presenting with clinical suspicion of preeclampsia. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of the PlGF in twin pregnancies.

Methods: Twin pregnancies with clinically suspected preeclampsia (24 weeks 0 days-36 weeks 6 days of gestation) were enrolled in this study.

Development of a Nanobody-Alkaline Phosphatase Fusion Protein for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in a Fluorescence Enzyme Immunoassay.

The continuous spread and evolution of severe acute respiratory symptom coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) necessitate the development of convenient and rapid detection methods. In this study, we developed a fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (FEIA) based on a nanobody (Nb)-alkaline phosphatase (ALP) fusion protein for detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The genetically modified anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD Nb, Nb61, gene was fused with the ALP gene sequences via a flexible linker.

Research Advances in Marine Aquaculture Net-Cleaning Robots.

In the realm of marine aquaculture, the netting of cages frequently accumulates marine fouling, which impedes water circulation and poses safety hazards. Traditional manual cleaning methods are marked by inefficiency, high labor demands, substantial costs, and considerable environmental degradation. This paper initially presents the current utilization of net-cleaning robots in the cleaning, underwater inspection, and monitoring of aquaculture cages, highlighting their benefits in enhancing operational efficiency and minimizing costs.

Role of lignin removal on the properties of crude pulp fibers from corn stover via high-temperature formic acid pulping.

An effective removal of lignin could reduce the chromogenic groups of lignin in pulp. Herein, corn stover was pulped via the formic acid to investigate the effects of cooking time and temperature on the crude pulp properties. The strong hydrogen ion action of formic acid helped inhibiting both the re-polymerization of degraded lignin molecules and the subsequent adsorption on fiber.

2-Hydroxyisobutyric acid targeted binding to MT-ND3 boosts mitochondrial respiratory chain homeostasis in hippocampus to rescue diabetic cognitive impairment.

Background: The prevalence of diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI) is significant, some studies have shown that it is related to mitochondrial respiratory chain homeostasis, but the specific mechanism is not clear. 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid (2-HIBA) is a novel short-chain fatty acid with potential applications in the treatment of metabolic diseases because it can regulate mitochondrial disorders. Our aim was to explore a novel mechanism of action for 2-HIBA in the treatment of DCI in mitochondrial respiratory chain homeostasis.

A positive atmospheric feedback on the North Atlantic warming hole.

A persistent cooling trend in the subpolar North Atlantic known as the North Atlantic Warming Hole (NAWH) has appeared in sea surface temperature (SST) observations since 1870, and the reasons for its persistence in an era of rapid anthropogenic global warming remain elusive. Here we investigate the response of the atmosphere to the NAWH in a set of model experiments, and further examine the associated feedback mechanisms. In one experiment, the observed warming hole is imposed upon the present-day climatology, and in another we run a sensitivity experiment, shifting the location of the warming hole southward of its observed location to limit its direct interaction with the jet stream.

Benzothiadiazole-Fused Cyanoindone: A Superior Building Block for Designing Ultra-Narrow Bandgap Electron Acceptor with Long-Range Ordered Stacking.

There are great demands of developing ultra-narrow bandgap electron acceptors for multifunctional electronic devices, particularly semi-transparent organic photovoltaics (OPVs) for building-integrated applications. However, current ultra-narrow bandgap materials applied in OPVs, primarily based on electron-rich cores, exhibit defects of high-lying energy levels and inferior performance. We herein proposed a novel strategy by designing the benzothiazole-fused cyanoindone (BTC) unit with ultra-strong electron-withdrawing ability as the terminal to synthesize the acceptor BTC-2.

Association between cardiometabolic index and kidney stones in US diabetic patients: NHANES 2007-2018.

Background: The cardiometabolic index (CMI), encompassing obesity and lipid metrics, is potentially linked to kidney stone prevalence in diabetic patients. However, studies on this association are sparse. This research evaluates CMI's impact on kidney stone occurrence in this group.

Unraveling the Diffusion MRI-Based Glymphatic System Alterations in Children with Rolandic Epilepsy.

Rationale And Objectives: Although dysfunction of the glymphatic system in adult epilepsy has been extensively studied, there is a lack of research on the changes in this system during childhood development, particularly in children with Rolandic epilepsy (RE). This study aimed to investigate the changes in diffusion MRI measures related to the glymphatic function in children with RE.

Materials And Methods: A total of thirty-eight children with RE and thirty-six demographically matched healthy children were enrolled in the study.

Lipoxin A yields an electrophilic 15-oxo metabolite that mediates FPR2 receptor-independent anti-inflammatory signaling.

The enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid is proposed to yield trihydroxytetraene species (termed lipoxins) that resolve inflammation via ligand activation of the formyl peptide receptor, FPR2. While cell and murine models activate signaling responses to synthetic lipoxins, primarily lipoxin A (LXA), there are expanding concerns about the reported biological formation, detection, and signaling mechanisms ascribed to LXA and related di- and tri-hydroxy ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids. The generation and signaling actions of LXA and its primary 15-oxo metabolite were assessed in control, lipopolysaccharide-activated, and arachidonic acid-supplemented RAW264.

Self-adhesion conductive cardiac patch based on methoxytriethylene glycol-functionalized graphene effectively improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Abnormal electrical activity of the heart following myocardial infarction (MI) may lead to heart failure or sudden cardiac death. Graphene-based conductive hydrogels can simulate the microenvironment of myocardial tissue and improve cardiac function post-MI. However, existing methods for preparing graphene and its derivatives suffer from drawbacks such as low purity, complex processes, and unclear structures, which limiting their biological applications.

Tumor suppressor ACER1 correlates with prognosis and Immune Infiltration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is notorious for poor prognoses, and effective biomarkers are urgently needed for early diagnosis of HNSCC patients. We investigate the role of alkaline ceramidase 1 (ACER1) and its relationship with immune infiltration in HNSCC. The differential expression and clinical prognostic significance of ACER1 in HNSCC patients are explored using bioinformatics methods and verified in human HNSCC samples.

A Simple Route for Open Fluidic Devices with Particle Walls.

Open fluidics, allowing liquid in a flow channel to interact with the external environment, is a revolutionary concept. However, fabricating a highly stable open fluidic device of arbitrary complexity, while maintaining reconfigurability, is still a challenge. This is achieved by the use of a patterned substrate and liquids that are covered with functional, readily available hydrophobic particles, providing great flexibility in the construction and use of open fluidic structures.

Two-Step Iterative Medical Microwave Tomography.

In the field of medical imaging, microwave tomography (MWT) is based on the scattering and absorption characteristics of different tissues to microwaves and can reconstruct the electromagnetic property distribution of biological tissues non-invasively and without ionizing radiation. However, due to the inherently nonlinear and ill-posed characteristics of MWT calculations, actual imaging is prone to overfitting or artifacts. To address this, this paper proposes a two-step iterative imaging approach for rapid medical microwave tomography.

Association between relative fat mass and kidney stones in American adults.

Our study aimed to investigate the association between RFM and kidney stones, focusing specifically on the mediating role of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) covering the years 2007 to 2018. Our analytical approach included multivariate logistic regression modeling, subgroup analysis, generalized additive modeling (GAM), smoothed curve fitting, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, as well as mediation analysis to assess the association between RFM and kidney stones.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of the erector spinae plane block after spinal fusion surgery.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of erector spinal plane block (ESPB) after spinal fusion surgery in this study.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science databases were searched with a search deadline of March 30, 2024, and Stata 15.0 was used to analyze the data from the included studies.

Impacts of distorted local chemical coordination on electrochemical performance in hydrated vanadium pentoxide.

Modulating and elevating the operating voltage of a given cathode is a significant challenge to enhance the energy density of secondary batteries without sacrificing power output. The chemical coordination strongly influences the energy levels of d-orbitals of redox cations in cathode materials, which tie to their operating voltage. In contrast to concentrated studies on enhancing the specific capacity, in this study, we choose bi-layered hydrated vanadium pentoxide as the model to modulate the d-orbital energy levels through local chemical coordination manipulation, achieving a higher operating voltage in rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Improved Thermal Dissipation in a MoS Field-Effect Transistor by Hybrid High- Dielectric Layers.

Transition metal dichalcogenides like MoS have been considered as crucial channel materials beyond silicon to continuously advance transistor scaling down owing to their two-dimensional structure and exceptional electrical properties. However, the undesirable interface morphology and vibrational phonon frequency mismatch between MoS and the dielectric layer induce low thermal boundary conductance, resulting in overheating issues and impeding electrical performance improvement in the MoS field-effect transistors. Here, we employed hybrid high- dielectric layers of AlO/HfO to simultaneously reduce the interfacial thermal resistance and improve device electrical performance.

Association between inflammation indicators (MLR, NLR, SII, SIRI, and AISI) and erectile dysfunction in US adults: NHANES 2001-2004.

Background: This study aimed to assess the relationship between multiple indicators of inflammation and erectile dysfunction through an analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This represents the first large-scale, cross-sectional investigation that explores this association by jointly analyzing various inflammatory markers.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis with NHANES data from 2001 to 2004.

RVG-peptide-camouflaged iron-coordinated engineered polydopamine nanoenzyme with ROS scavenging and inhibiting inflammatory response for ischemic stroke therapy.

Stroke is one of the most common causes of death and disability. In addition, most neuroprotective agents fail to rescue neurons from cerebral ischemic insults due to their poor ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Here, the tailored engineered nanoenzyme has been successfully synthesized by coordination-driven co-assembly of dopamine (DA) and iron ion (Fe), which is subsequently camouflaged by neuron-specific rabies viral glycoprotein (RVG) peptide to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibit inflammatory response in damaged neuron for the efficient therapy of ischemic stroke.

IL-1β-induced epithelial cell and fibroblast transdifferentiation promotes neutrophil recruitment in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Neutrophilic inflammation contributes to multiple chronic inflammatory airway diseases, including asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), and is associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile human nasal mucosa obtained from the inferior turbinates, middle turbinates, and nasal polyps of CRSwNP patients, we identify two IL-1 signaling-induced cell subsets-LY6D club cells and IDO1 fibroblasts-that promote neutrophil recruitment by respectively releasing S100A8/A9 and CXCL1/2/3/5/6/8 into inflammatory regions. IL-1β, a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in IL-1 signaling, induces the transdifferentiation of LY6D club cells and IDO1 fibroblasts from primary epithelial cells and fibroblasts, respectively.