Maternal fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio for predicting delivery of small and large for gestational age infants: a pilot study.

Background: The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate associations between fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products (FDP) to high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (FHR) of mothers and the risk of delivering large/small for gestational age (LGA/SGA) infants and to evaluate the predictive power of FHR on LGA/SGA.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 11,657 consecutive women whose lipid profiles and FDP levels were investigated at the time of admission for delivery at a specialized hospital. The FHR was calculated, and perinatal outcomes, including clinical parameters, were analyzed.

High Performance Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Li-Ion Conducting Gel Polymer Electrolyte Films for Electric Double-Layer Capacitors.

With 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) as the solvent, the biodegradable gel polymer electrolyte films are prepared based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (LiTFSI), and 1-ethyl-3 methylimidazoliumbis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMITFSI) by means of solution casting. The films are characterized to evaluate their structural and electrochemical performance. The 60PVA-40LiTFSI + 10 wt.

Enhanced Multiferroic Properties of YMnO₃ Ceramics Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering Along with Low-Temperature Solid-State Reaction.

Based on precursor powders with a size of 200-300 nm prepared by the low-temperature solid-state reaction method, phase-pure YMnO₃ ceramics are fabricated using spark plasma sintering (SPS). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal that the high-purity YMnO₃ ceramics can be prepared by SPS at 1000 °C for 5 minutes with annealing at 800 °C for 2 h. The relative density of the sample is as high as 97%, which is much higher than those of the samples sintered by other methods.

Effect of Sintering Temperature on Structural, Dielectric, and Magnetic Properties of Multiferroic YFeO₃ Ceramics Fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering.

Based on precursor powders with a size of 200-300 nm prepared by the low-temperature solid reaction method, phase-pure YFeO₃ ceramics are fabricated using spark plasma sintering (SPS) at different temperatures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal that the high-purity YFeO₃ ceramics can be prepared using SPS, while the results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show that the concentration of oxygen vacancies resulting from transformation from Fe to Fe is low. The relative density of the 1000 °C-sintered sample is as high as 97.

Misaligned conformal gratings enhanced light trapping in thin film silicon solar cells.

The effect of the relative lateral displacement between the front and back sinusoidal textured layers of a conformal grating solar cell on light trapping was investigated. For various amount of relative lateral displacements and thicknesses of the active layer, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of the misaligned solar cell structures and their EQE enhancement relative to the aligned structure were studied. For both aligned and misaligned solar cell structures, the electric field distribution at the wavelength corresponding to the EQE peaks was analyzed, and the corresponding guided modes were identified.

[Effects of 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field on Ca2+ release channel ryanodine receptor of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles].

Objective: To investigate the effects of sinusoidal magnetic field on isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium release channel (RyR1) function.

Methods: With the Ca2+ dynamic spectrum and isotope labeled methods, the Ca2+ release and [(3)H]-Ryanodine binding, the initial rates of NADH oxidation and the production of superoxide of SR exposed to 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field (MF) were investigated respectively.

Results: 0.

EGF receptor clustering is induced by a 0.4 mT power frequency magnetic field and blocked by the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor PD153035.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to investigate the effects of a 50 Hz 0.4 mT magnetic field (MF) on the clustering of purified epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) and EGFRs in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cell membrane. The results demonstrate that exposing purified EGFRs to the MF for 30 min induces receptor clustering.

[Effects of power frequency magnetic field on Ca2+ transport of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles].

Objective: To investigate the effects of power frequency magnetic field on the Ca2+ transport dynamics of isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles.

Methods: The assays of Ca2+ uptake time course and the Ca2+-ATPase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were investigated by using dynamic mode of spectrometry with a Ca2+ dye; Ca2+ release channel activation was examined by 3H-ryanodine binding and Ca2+ release assays; membrane fluidity of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles was examined by fluorescence polarization, without or with exposure to the vesicles at a 0.4 mT, 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field.