Application of the Time-Domain Multichromophoric Fluorescence Resonant Energy Transfer Method in the NISE Programme.

We present the implementation of the time-domain multichromophoric fluorescence resonant energy transfer (TC-MCFRET) approach in the numerical integration of the Schrödinger equation (NISE) program. This method enables the efficient simulation of incoherent energy transfer between distinct segments within large and complex molecular systems, such as photosynthetic complexes. Our approach incorporates a segmentation protocol to divide these systems into manageable components and a modified thermal correction to ensure detailed balance.

ColonNeXt: Fully Convolutional Attention for Polyp Segmentation.

This study introduces ColonNeXt, a novel fully convolutional attention-based model for polyp segmentation from colonoscopy images, aimed at the enhancing early detection of colorectal cancer. Utilizing a purely convolutional neural network (CNN), ColonNeXt integrates an encoder-decoder structure with a hierarchical multi-scale context-aware network (MSCAN) in the encoder and a convolutional block attention module (CBAM) in the decoder. The decoder further includes a proposed CNN-based feature attention mechanism for selective feature enhancement, ensuring precise segmentation.

Effect of aspirin on biomarker profile in women at high risk for preeclampsia.

Background: There is limited evidence in the literature regarding the temporal changes of preeclampsia-related biomarkers during pregnancy in high-risk women who develop preeclampsia despite the administration of aspirin prophylaxis.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the temporal changes in mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, placental growth factor, and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 across gestation in women identified as having high risk for preterm preeclampsia receiving aspirin prophylaxis and low-risk women without aspirin treatment.

Study Design: This was a prospective longitudinal nested case-control study of 2007 women with singleton pregnancies who participated in the first-trimester screen-and-prevent program for preeclampsia at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, between January 2020 and May 2023.

Nanorod structure tuning and defect engineering of MoO for high-performance SERS substrates.

In recent years, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based on metal oxide semiconductors has been an active area of research and development, attracting significant scientific interest. These SERS substrates are known as plasmon-free SERS substrates because they are not based on noble metal nanoparticles but mainly on the defects, structure, and surface morphology of semiconductors to enhance the Raman signal. In this study, we fabricated a SERS substrate based on molybdenum oxide, using reactive DC magnetron sputtering and then used different simple and effective strategies to enhance the Raman signal.

Examining dimensions of career intentions: insights from medical and nursing students at a private not-for profit university in Vietnam.

Background: Understanding students' career intentions through evidence-based approaches is crucial for developing effective career guidance and intervention strategies. Although there has been considerable attention in this field, research remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia. These regions have unique socioeconomic conditions and cultural norms that potentially shape decision-making processes.

Financial toxicity in patients with cancer: a cross-sectional study at an oncology hospital in central Vietnam.

Purpose: Cancer imposes a substantial financial burden on patients because of the high out-of-pocket expenses and the significant hardships. Financial toxicity describes the impact of cancer care costs at the patient level. Although the financial impact of cancer has been recognized, understanding the extent and determinants of financial toxicity in specific contexts is crucial.

Biomarkers in the prediction of complications in pregnancy after assisted reproductive technology.

Objectives: To compare the temporal changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) across gestation between assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancies complicated with great obstetrical syndromes (GOS) or gestational diabetes (GDM) ± large-for-gestational-age (LGA) fetus, and uncomplicated ART pregnancies.

Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study of 143 women with singleton pregnancies who conceived through ART at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Prince of Wales Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR between December 2017 and January 2020. The participants were followed up at 6-6, 11-13, 20-24, 30-34, and 35-37 weeks for the measurement of MAP, UtA-PI, PlGF, and sFlt-1.

Variation in Consult and Referral Patterns for Facial Lacerations by Emergency Department Provider Type: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Facial lacerations are a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. Proper laceration repair is imperative as poor wound management can lead to functional and aesthetic impairment and significantly impact patient quality of life.

Neuropilin-1 Protein May Serve as a Receptor for SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Evidence from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

The binding of the virus to host cells is the first step in viral infection. Human cell angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the most popular receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), while other receptors have recently been observed in experiments. Neuropilin-1 protein (NRP1) is one of them, but the mechanism of its binding to the wild type (WT) and different variants of the virus remain unclear at the atomic level.

Coarse-Grained Approach to Simulate Signatures of Excitation Energy Transfer in Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy of Large Molecular Systems.

Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) has proven to be a highly effective technique in studying the properties of excited states and the process of excitation energy transfer in complex molecular assemblies, particularly in biological light-harvesting systems. However, the accurate simulation of 2DES for large systems still poses a challenge because of the heavy computational demands it entails. In an effort to overcome this limitation, we devised a coarse-grained 2DES method.

Implementation of First-Trimester Screening and Prevention of Preeclampsia: A Stepped Wedge Cluster-Randomized Trial in Asia.

Background: This trial aimed to assess the efficacy, acceptability, and safety of a first-trimester screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm preeclampsia in Asia.

Methods: Between August 1, 2019, and February 28, 2022, this multicenter stepped wedge cluster randomized trial included maternity/diagnostic units from 10 regions in Asia. The trial started with a period where all recruiting centers provided routine antenatal care without study-related intervention.

Ultrasonographic placental parameters at 11-13+6 weeks' gestation in the prediction of complications in pregnancy after assisted reproductive technology.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of maternal factors, biophysical and biochemical markers at 11-13 + 6 weeks' gestation in the prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus with or without large for gestational age (GDM ± LGA) fetus and great obstetrical syndromes (GOS) among singleton pregnancy following in-vitro fertilisation (IVF)/embryo transfer (ET).

Materials And Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted between December 2017 and January 2020 including patients who underwent IVF/ET. Maternal mean arterial pressure (MAP), ultrasound markers including placental volume, vascularisation index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularisation flow index (VFI), mean uterine artery pulsatility index (mUtPI) and biochemical markers including placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) were measured at 11-13 + 6 weeks' gestation.

Validation of the first-trimester machine learning model for predicting pre-eclampsia in an Asian population.

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) model for first-trimester screening for pre-eclampsia in a large Asian population.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study in 10 935 participants with singleton pregnancies attending for routine pregnancy care at 11-13 weeks of gestation in seven regions in Asia between December 2016 and June 2018. We applied the AI+ML model for the first-trimester prediction of preterm pre-eclampsia (<37 weeks), term pre-eclampsia (≥37 weeks), and any pre-eclampsia, which was derived and tested in a cohort of pregnant participants in the UK (Model 1).

Aspirin versus metformin in pregnancies at high risk of preterm pre-eclampsia in China (AVERT): protocol for a multicentre, double-blind, 3-arm randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Pre-eclampsia (PE) affects about 5% of Chinese pregnant women and is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The first trimester screening model developed by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, which uses the Bayes theorem to combine maternal characteristics and medical history together with measurements of biomarkers, has been proven to be effective and has superior screening performance to that of the traditional risk factor-based approach for the prediction of PE. Prophylactic use of low-dose aspirin in women at risk for PE has resulted in a lower incidence of preterm-PE.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariants Do Not Differ Much in Binding Affinity to Human ACE2: A Molecular Dynamics Study.

The emergence of the variant of concern Omicron (B.1.1.

Implementation of sonopartogram: multicenter feasibility study.

Objectives: Well-established clinical practice for assessing progress in labor involves routine abdominal palpation and vaginal examination (VE). However, VE is subjective, poorly reproducible and painful for most women. In this study, our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of systematically integrating transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound assessment of fetal position, parasagittal angle of progression (psAOP), head-perineum distance (HPD) and sonographic cervical dilatation (SCD) to monitor the progress of labor in women undergoing induction of labor (IOL).

Inter-subunit energy transfer processes in a minimal plant photosystem II supercomplex.

Photosystem II (PSII) is an integral part of the photosynthesis machinery, in which several light-harvesting complexes rely on inter-complex excitonic energy transfer (EET) processes to channel energy to the reaction center. In this paper, we report on a direct observation of the inter-complex EET in a minimal PSII supercomplex from plants, containing the trimeric light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), the monomeric light-harvesting complex CP26, and the monomeric PSII core complex. Using two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectroscopy, we measure an inter-complex EET timescale of 50 picoseconds for excitations from the LHCII-CP26 peripheral antenna to the PSII core.

RNA therapeutics for the treatment of blood disorders.

Blood disorders are defined as diseases related to the structure, function, and formation of blood cells. These diseases lead to increased years of life loss, reduced quality of life, and increased financial burden for social security systems around the world. Common blood disorder treatments such as using chemical drugs, organ transplants, or stem cell therapy have not yet approached the best goals, and treatment costs are also very high.

Longitudinal evaluation of cervical length and shear wave elastography in women with spontaneous preterm birth.

Objective: To evaluate longitudinal changes in cervical length (CL) and mean cervical shear wave elastography (CSWE) score in women with a singleton or twin pregnancy who undergo spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) compared with those who deliver at term.

Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study of unselected women with a singleton or twin pregnancy attending a dedicated research clinic for screening for sPTB at four timepoints during pregnancy: 11 + 0 to 15 + 6 weeks, 16 + 0 to 20 + 6 weeks, 21 + 0 to 24 + 6 weeks and 28 + 0 to 32 + 6 weeks. At each visit, a transvaginal ultrasound scan was conducted to measure the CL and the CSWE scores in six regions of interest (ROI) (inner, middle and external parts of anterior and posterior cervical lips).

Pro-Resolving Mediators in Rotator Cuff Disease: How Is the Bursa Involved?

So far, tendon regeneration has mainly been analyzed independent from its adjacent tissues. However, the subacromial bursa in particular appears to influence the local inflammatory milieu in the shoulder. The resolution of local inflammation in the shoulder tissues is essential for tendon regeneration, and specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) play a key role in regulating the resolution of inflammation.

Theoretical insights into the HO-induced oxidation of chlorpyrifos pesticide: Mechanism, kinetics, ecotoxicity, and cholinesterase inhibition of degradants.

The oxidation of the common pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) initiated by HO radical and the risks of its degradation products were studied in the gaseous and aqueous phases via computational approaches. Oxidation mechanisms were investigated, including H-, Cl-, CH- abstraction, HO-addition, and single electron transfer. In both phases, HO-addition at the C of the pyridyl ring is the most energetically favorable and spontaneous reaction, followed by H-abstraction reactions at methylene groups (i.

A point-of-care urine test to predict adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in Asian women with suspected preeclampsia.

Objectives: To assess clinical utility of the urine Congo red dot test (CRDT) in predicting composite adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with suspected preeclampsia (PE).

Methods: CRDT result and pregnancy outcomes were prospectively documented in women with new onset or pre-existing hypertension, new or pre-existing proteinuria, PE symptoms and suspected PE-related fetal growth restriction or abnormal Doppler presenting from 20 weeks' gestation between January 2020 and December 2022. Participants and clinicians were blinded to the CRDT result and managed according to internally agreed protocols.

Evaluation of screening performance of first-trimester competing-risks prediction model for small-for-gestational age in Asian population.

Objective: To examine the external validity of the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) competing-risks model for the prediction of small-for-gestational age (SGA) at 11-14 weeks' gestation in an Asian population.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study in 10 120 women with a singleton pregnancy undergoing routine assessment at 11-14 weeks' gestation. We applied the FMF competing-risks model for the first-trimester prediction of SGA, combining maternal characteristics and medical history with measurements of mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and serum placental growth factor (PlGF) concentration.