Calcium Channel Blocker Lacidipine Promotes Antitumor Immunity by Reprogramming Tryptophan Metabolism.

Dysfunction of calcium channels is involved in the development and progression of some cancers. However, it remains unclear the role of calcium channel inhibitors in tumor immunomodulation. Here, calcium channel blocker lacidipine is identified to potently inhibit the enzymatic activity and expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), a rate-limiting enzyme in tryptophan metabolism.

Impact of vaginal seeding on the gut microbiome of infants born via cesarean section: A systematic review.

Objective: This systematic review summarizes eight studies involving 558 cesarean section (CS)-born infants (274 exposed to vaginal seeding (VS), 284 not exposed) and 261 infants born vaginally to investigate the effect of VS on gut microbiome colonization and development in CS-born infants.

Methods: This study adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Relevant articles published before March 6, 2024, were identified through systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Nomogram based on clinical characteristics and ultrasound indicators for predicting severe postpartum hemorrhage in patients with anterior placenta previa combined with previous cesarean section: a retrospective case-control study.

Background: Placental accreta spectrum disorders (PAS) are a high-risk group for severe postpartum hemorrhage (SPPH), with the incidence of PAS increasing annually. Given that cesarean section and anterior placenta previa are the primary risk factors for PAS, therefore, our study aims to investigate the predictive value of clinical characteristics and ultrasound indicators for SPPH in patients with anterior placenta previa combined with previous cesarean section, providing a theoretical basis for early prediction of SPPH.

Methods: A total of 450 patients with anterior placenta previa combined with previous cesarean section were retrospectively analyzed at Shengjing Hospital affiliated with China Medical University between January 2018 and March 2022.

Study on the Infrared and Raman spectra of TiAlB, ZrAlB, HfAlB, and TaAlB by first-principles calculations.

In this paper, the crystal geometry, electronic structure, lattice vibration, Infrared and Raman spectra of ternary layered borides MAlB (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta) are studied by using first principles calculation method based on the density functional theory. The electronic structure of MAlB indicates that they are all electrical conductors, and the d orbitals of Ti, Zr, Hf, and Ta occupy most of the bottom of the conduction band and most of the top of the valence band. Al and B have lower contributions near their Fermi level.

Structure, bonding and electronic characteristics of amorphous Se.

Ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selectors can effectively improve the storage density and suppress the leakage current of advanced phase-change memory devices. As a prototypical OTS material, amorphous GeSe is widely investigated. But the attention paid to amorphous Se (, the functional constituent in amorphous GeSe) has been very limited up to now.

Advances in microfluidic technology for sperm screening and in vitro fertilization.

About 18% of reproductive-age adults worldwide are affected by infertility. In vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are widely used assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) aimed at improving clinical outcomes. Efficient and noninvasive selection and isolation of highly motile sperm with intact DNA are essential for the success of IVF and ICSI and can potentially impact the therapeutic efficacy and the health of the offspring.

Dose-response associations of maternal prenatal noise exposure duration with antepartum depression status.

Background: Antepartum depression has been reported to be associated with the intensity of maternal prenatal noise exposure; however, the association between noise exposure duration and the development of antepartum depression has not been established. This study aimed to determine the total and trimester-specific association of prenatal noise exposure duration with the development of antepartum depression.

Methods: From May 2018 to June 2021, we recruited 2,166 pregnant women from Shengjing Hospital, northeast China.

Individual and combined association between nutritional trace metals and the risk of preterm birth in a recurrent pregnancy loss cohort.

Background: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) was associated with an elevated risk of pregnancy complications, particularly preterm birth (PTB). However, the risk factors associated with PTB in RPL remained unclear. Emerging evidence indicated that maternal exposure to metals played a crucial role in the development of PTB.

Psychological changes among women with recurrent pregnancy loss during the COVID-19 period in northeastern China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: It aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) women and the related factors in Northeastern China during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: From March to June 2021, we conducted an electronic questionnaire survey of 267 RPL women who attended the recurrent pregnancy loss clinic at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS-C) were used to screen for anxiety, depression, stress, and social support.

Structural, mechanical, electronic and optical properties of biphenylene hydrogenation: a first-principles study.

Biphenylene networks typically exhibit a metallic electronic nature, while hydrogenation can open the band gap changing it to a semiconductor. This property makes hydrogenated biphenylene a promising candidate for use in semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices. In this work, three representative configurations of hydrogenated biphenylene, denoted by , and , were investigated.

Trimester-specific associations of maternal dietary patterns with preterm birth: China Medical University birth cohort study.

The trimester-specific associations of maternal dietary patterns with preterm birth (PTB) are unclear. In a prospective prebirth cohort study, we aimed to examine the critical time window of maternal prenatal dietary patterns and the risk of PTB. We assessed prenatal dietary intake among 1500 pregnant women with validated food frequency questionnaires during the 1, 2 and 3 trimester, respectively.

The luminescence mechanism of ligand-induced interface states in silicon quantum dots.

Over decades of research on photoluminescence (PL) of silicon quantum dots (Si-QDs), extensive exploratory experiments have been conducted to find ways to improve the photoluminescence quantum yield. However, the complete physical picture of Si-QD luminescence is not yet clear and needs to be studied in depth. In this work, which considers the quantum size effect and surface effect, the optical properties of Si-QDs with different sizes and surface terminated ligands were calculated based on first principles calculations.

The risk factors of progestational anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance in women with recurrent pregnancy loss: A cross-sectional study in China.

Background: The risk factors of progestational anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance in women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) remain controversial, additional study is needed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of progestational anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in RPL women.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 663 non-pregnant RPL women in Northeast China from October 2019 to July 2022. We assessed the state of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality before pregnancy using structured questionnaires, including sociodemographic characteristics, state-trait anxiety scale (STAI), center for epidemiological survey, depression scale (CES-D), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and symptom self-rating scale (SCL-90).

Biosensor-Enabled Discovery of CaERG6 Inhibitors and Their Antifungal Mode of Action against .

Fungal infections caused by opportunistic pathogens, such as , are generally underappreciated by the public in spite of their high mortality rates. Antifungal arsenals are extremely limited. Herein, based on biosynthetic pathway comparison and functional characterization, CaERG6, a crucial sterol 24-C-methyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of ubiquitous ergosterol in , was set up as an antifungal target.

Clinical phenotype, treatment strategy and pregnancy outcome of non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome.

Problem: To illustrate the clinical features, treatment strategy, and pregnancy outcome of patients with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS), non-criteria obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (NC-OAPS) METHOD OF STUDY: A single-center nested case-control study was designed. Patients with a diagnosis of OAPS and NC-OAPS were enrolled. The medical history, coagulation status, and antibody profile data were collected.

Trimester-specific association of perceived indoor air quality with antenatal depression: China Medical University Birth Cohort Study.

Antenatal depression is associated with adverse birth and long-term outcomes for mothers and children. Pregnant women spend 90% of time indoors; however, the association between indoor air quality and risk of antenatal depression has not been established. In this study, we aim to determine the total and trimester-specific association of perceived indoor air quality (PIAQ) with antenatal depression.

WTAP dysregulation-mediated HMGN3-m6A modification inhibited trophoblast invasion in early-onset preeclampsia.

Early-onset preeclampsia (ePE) originates from abnormal implantation and placentation that involves trophoblast invasion, but its pathophysiology is not entirely understood. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulators mediate the progression of various cancers. The invasiveness of trophoblast cells is similar to that of tumor cells.

Comparison of machine learning and logistic regression as predictive models for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes of preeclampsia: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Preeclampsia, one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, demands accurate predictive models for the lack of effective treatment. Predictive models based on machine learning algorithms demonstrate promising potential, while there is a controversial discussion about whether machine learning methods should be recommended preferably, compared to traditional statistical models.

Methods: We employed both logistic regression and six machine learning methods as binary predictive models for a dataset containing 733 women diagnosed with preeclampsia.

Associations of Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy with Gestational Hypertension: The "Born in Shenyang" Cohort Study.

The literature on maternal dietary patterns and gestational hypertension (GH) risk is largely ambiguous. We investigated the associations of maternal dietary patterns with GH risk among 1092 pregnant women in a Chinese pre-birth cohort. We used both three-day food diaries (TFD) and food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to assess the diets of pregnant women.

Acute and chronic maternal exposure to fine particulate matter and prelabor rupture of the fetal membranes: A nation-wide survey in China.

Background: Prelabor rupture of the fetal membranes (PROM) is a major contributor to adverse perinatal outcomes. Some epidemiologic studies explored the association between maternal PM exposure and PROM but failed to treat the labor induction and prelabor cesarean section as censored observations.

Objective: We aimed to evaluated whether acute and chronic maternal ambient PM exposure may increase the risk of PROM in China.

The predictive value of NKG2C+NK cells and LILRB1+NK cells in recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Problem: The maternal-fetal immune abnormalities can result in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The role of NKG2C and LILRB1 pNK subsets in predicting pregnancy loss is uncertain.

Method Of Study: In this study, we aimed to compare the percentage of CD3 CD56 NK cells, NKG2C NK cells, and LILRB1 NK cells in peripheral blood between healthy pregnant women (HC group), RSA women followed by normal pregnancy (RSA-N group) and RSA women followed by abortion (RSA-A group) in the first trimester via flow cytometry, and explore the prediction value of NKG2C and LILRB1 NK cells for pregnancy loss in RSA via ROC curve.

Functional characterization of a catalytically promiscuous tryptophan decarboxylase from camptothecin-producing .

Tryptophan decarboxylases (TDCs) are a group of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzymes involved in the enzymatic conversion of tryptophan into tryptamine, a critical biogenic amine. We herein mined and cloned a TDC-encoding gene, , from camptothecin-producing plant . The intact was heterologously overexpressed in and the recombinant CaTDC3 was purified to homogeneity.

Preterm birth update in Australasia: A report of the international symposium of Preterm Birth International Collaborative-Australasia branch.

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the most important problems that pose dilemmas for both the obstetrician and neonatologist, placing a heavy burden psychologically and financially on the families involved, and triggering high socio-economic costs to the public healthcare. The rate of PTB in Asian countries has been ranked at top globally. To reduce the PTB rate, to promote the prevention and intervention for PTB, and to better understand the pathophysiology underlying PTB, the Preterm Birth International Collaborative Australia branch (PREBIC-AA) was launched in 2017.

Eye drop instillation technique among patients with glaucoma and evaluation of pharmacists' roles in improving their technique: an exploratory study.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the eye drop instillation technique of patients with glaucoma and whether a pharmacist-led counselling session can improve their technique. Patients' perceptions of pharmacists' role in providing the counselling were also explored.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2020 and March 2021 at Sarawak General Hospital, Malaysia.