Exposure to alkylphenols during early pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: Fetal sex-specific effects.

Alkylphenols (APs) may cause gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women by impairing glucose metabolism through endocrine disruption. However, the current literature has limited epidemiological evidence on the association between APs exposure and the risk of GDM, especially the lack of evidence on joint exposure. Thus, we evaluated the effect of exposure to APs during early pregnancy on the risk of GDM.

Towards optimized biopsy use in vertebral compression fractures: integrating risk assessment for better clinical decision-making.

Purpose: Tissue biopsy is the gold standard for differentiating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures from malignant lesions. However, the necessity of routine biopsies during percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty is debated due to the low malignancy detection rates. This study aims to identify key predictors of positive biopsy outcomes in patients undergoing these procedures, with the goal of refining biopsy selection criteria to enhance diagnostic yield and improve clinical decision-making.

Impact of lower limb alignment abnormality (physiologic knee valgus) on the functional recovery outcome of athletes with meniscal injuries.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of lower limb alignment abnormalities, specifically physiological knee valgus, on the functional recovery outcomes of athletes with meniscal injuries. It also examined the factors influencing these abnormalities to provide scientific evidence for treatment and rehabilitation of related sports injuries.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 118 athletes from Guizhou Normal University, who were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of lower limb alignment abnormalities.

Quarterly fluctuations in external and internal loads among professional basketball players.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the variations in external and internal loads on a quarter-by-quarter basis among professional Chinese basketball players. It emphasizes the crucial impact of these variations on optimizing athletic performance and match strategies.

Method: An observational longitudinal study design was employed, involving sixteen male players from the National Basketball League during the 2024 season in China.

Dendrite-Free All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries by In Situ Phase Transformation of the Soft Carbon-LiN Interface Layer.

The accelerated formation of lithium dendrites has considerably impeded the advancement and practical deployment of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs). In this study, a soft carbon (SC)-LiN interface layer was developed with both ionic and electronic conductivity, for which the in situ lithiation reaction not only lithiated SC into LiC with good electronic/ionic conductivity but also successfully transformed the mixed-phase LiN into pure-phase β-LiN with a high ionic conductivity/ion diffusion coefficient and stability to lithium metal. The mixed conductive interface layer facilitates fast Li transport at the interface and induces the homogeneous deposition of lithium metal inside it.

Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) plantation degradation aggravates microbial metabolic C and P limitations on the Northern Loess Plateau in China.

Vegetation degradation in arid and semi-arid regions reduces plant C inputs to the soil, which can impede soil nutrient cycling because of the limited C source for microbial metabolism. However, whether vegetation degradation aggravates microbial nutrient limitation in degraded ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions is not fully understood. Here, we investigated changes in soil enzyme activity and microbial nutrient limitation along a well-documented gradient of degraded seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.

Associations between maternal exposure to multiple metals and metalloids and blood pressure in preschool children: A mixture-based approach.

Background: Exposure to metals during pregnancy can potentially influence blood pressure (BP) in children, but few studies have examined the mixed effects of prenatal metal exposure on childhood BP. We aimed to assess the individual and combined effects of prenatal metal and metalloid exposure on BP in preschool children.

Methods: A total of 217 mother-child pairs were selected from the Zhuang Birth Cohort in Guangxi, China.

Effect of smoking-related features and 731 immune cell phenotypes on esophageal cancer: a two-sample and mediated Mendelian randomized study.

Introduction: Numerous observational studies have indicated that smoking is a substantial risk factor for esophageal cancer. However, there is a shortage of research that delves into the specific causal relationship and potential mediators between the two. Our study aims to validate the correlation between smoking-related traits and esophageal cancer while exploring the possible mediating effects of immune factors.

No potential causal link between HP infection and IBD: A 2way Mendelian randomization study.

Recent epidemiological research suggests a possible negative correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, conflicting studies have provided unclear evidence regarding these causal relationships. Therefore, recommending specific prevention and treatment strategies for H.

The role of ARL4C in predicting prognosis and immunotherapy drug susceptibility in pan-cancer analysis.

ARLs, which are a class of small GTP-binding proteins, play a crucial role in facilitating tumor tumorigenesis and development. ARL4C, a vital member of the ARLs family, has been implicated in the progression of tumors, metastatic dissemination, and development of resistance to therapeutic drugs. Nevertheless, the precise functional mechanisms of ARL4C concerning tumor prognosis and immunotherapy drug susceptibility remain elusive.

Effects of prenatal single and mixed bisphenol exposure on bone mineral density in preschool children: A population-based prospective cohort study.

Exposure to bisphenols can affect bone mineral density (BMD) in animals and humans. However, the effects of maternal exposure to bisphenols during pregnancy on bone health in preschool children remain unknown. We aimed to assess the effects of prenatal exposure to single and multiple bisphenols on bone health in preschool children.

Using three-dimensional modelling of the anterior sclera to investigate the scleral profile in myopic eyes.

Purpose: This study used three-dimensional (3D) modelling to investigate scleral profiles in myopic eyes and compare them with emmetropic eyes.

Methods: In this prospective observational study, the eyes of 151 participants were analysed using the corneoscleral profile module (CSP) of the Pentacam HR. Non-rotationally symmetrical ellipsoids were fitted to the anterior scleral sagittal height.

Four Ounces Can Move a Thousand Pounds: The Enormous Value of Nanomaterials in Tumor Immunotherapy.

The application of nanomaterials in healthcare has emerged as a promising strategy due to their unique structural diversity, surface properties, and compositional diversity. In particular, nanomaterials have found a significant role in improving drug delivery and inhibiting the growth and metastasis of tumor cells. Moreover, recent studies have highlighted their potential in modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME) and enhancing the activity of immune cells to improve tumor therapy efficacy.

A valuable subarachnoid space named the occipito-atlantal cistern.

The cisterna magna has been defined as the space between the inferior margin of the cerebellar vermis to the level of the foramen magnum, while an enlarged dorsal subarachnoid space at the occipito-cervical junction extending from the foramen magnum to the upper border of the axis (C2) is still ignored. Recently, the myodural bridge complex is proved to drive the cerebral spinal fluid flowing via this region, we therefore introduce the "occipito-atlantal cistern (OAC)" to better describe the subarachnoid space and provide a detailed rationale. The present study utilized several methods, including MRI, gross anatomical dissection, P45 sheet plastination, and three-dimensional visualization.

Nanomaterials: small particles show huge possibilities for cancer immunotherapy.

With the economy's globalization and the population's aging, cancer has become the leading cause of death in most countries. While imposing a considerable burden on society, the high morbidity and mortality rates have continuously prompted researchers to develop new oncology treatment options. Anti-tumor regimens have evolved from early single surgical treatment to combined (or not) chemoradiotherapy and then to the current stage of tumor immunotherapy.

Nanomaterials: A powerful tool for tumor immunotherapy.

Cancer represents the leading global driver of death and is recognized as a critical obstacle to increasing life expectancy. In recent years, with the development of precision medicine, significant progress has been made in cancer treatment. Among them, various therapies developed with the help of the immune system have succeeded in clinical treatment, recognizing and killing cancer cells by stimulating or enhancing the body's intrinsic immune system.

A Novel RFID Authentication Protocol Based on Reconfigurable RRAM PUF.

Radio frequency identification technology (RFID) has empowered a wide variety of automation industries. Aiming at the current light-weight RFID encryption scheme with limited information protection methods, combined with the physical unclonable function (PUF) composed of resistive random access memory (RRAM), a new type of high-efficiency reconfigurable strong PUF circuit structure is proposed in this paper. Experimental results show that the proposed PUF shows an almost ideal value (50%) of inter-chip hamming distance (HD) (µ/σ = 0.

Abnormal Bone Metabolism May Be a Primary Causative Factor of Keel Bone Fractures in Laying Hens.

Keel bone damage negatively affects the welfare, production performance, egg quality, and mobility of laying hens. This study aimed to investigate whether abnormal bone metabolism causes keel bone damage in laying hens. Eighty Hy-line Brown laying hens were housed in eight furnished cages with 10 birds per cage and studied from 18 to 29 weeks of age (WOA).

Intravesical Mucoadhesive Hydrogel Induces Chemoresistant Bladder Cancer Ferroptosis through Delivering Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in a Three-Tier Strategy.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is the most costly solid tumor owing to its high recurrence. Relapsed cancer is known to acquire chemoresistant features after standard intravesical chemotherapy. This cancer state is vulnerable to ferroptosis, which occurs when lipid peroxides generated by iron metabolism accumulate to lethal levels.

Self-supervised learning and prediction of microstructure evolution with convolutional recurrent neural networks.

Microstructural evolution is a key aspect of understanding and exploiting the processing-structure-property relationship of materials. Modeling microstructure evolution usually relies on coarse-grained simulations with evolution principles described by partial differential equations (PDEs). Here we demonstrate that convolutional recurrent neural networks can learn the underlying physical rules and replace PDE-based simulations in the prediction of microstructure phenomena.