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To compare the urine Congo‐red dot paper test (CRD) with dipstick urinalysis to screen preeclampsia (PE). A total of 409 paired spot urine samples were obtained prospectively from women with suspected pre‐eclampsia attending for routine hospital visits. Congo‐red dot paper test and dipstick urinalysis were examined and compared to screen pre‐eclampsia. The agreement between the two urinary test is modest (kappa coefficient = 0.28, 95% CI 0.14–0.42). The specificity of CRD was higher than urinalysis (97.4% vs. 90.4%, p <.001). Urinalysis performed better in sensitivity (77.3% vs. 40.9%, p =.04) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) (0.84 [95% CI 0.74–0.94] vs. 0.69 [95% CI 0.55–0.83], p =.04) than CRD, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, AUC of the parallel test of them is 86.4% (64.0%–96.4%), 89.1% (85.5%–92.0%), and 0.88 (95% CI 0.79–0.96). And the serial test is 31.8% (14.7%–54.9%), 98.7% (96.8%–99.5%), 0.65 (95% CI 0.51–0.79), accordingly. The urinalysis is a better diagnosing test for preeclampsia. CRD could aid in the diagnosis of patients with preeclampsia. Combined the two tests in suspected patients may further improve the performance in the diagnosis of preeclampsia. Further study need to be made for its potential clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of relevant research, the effect of the lateral confinement provided by stirrups and concrete cover on the bond behavior between glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and concrete is ambiguous, resulting in the lack of a practical bond slip theory of GFRP bars. Therefore, it is impossible to accurately analyze the load response of GFRP-reinforced concrete (RC) structures from the stress level. In this paper, the local bond behavior of ribbed GFRP bars was systematically analyzed by the beam-end tests. The test parameters include concrete strength, stirrup spacing, and concrete cover. In addition, a bond stress-slip model considering the bonding mechanism was proposed on the basis of the beam-end tests and previous research. The results show that, the development of concrete cracks is restricted due to the existence of stirrups, and the specimens tend to fail in pull-out failure with strong confinement of stirrups. With the increase in the lateral confinement level, the failure mode of specimens transits gradually and smoothly from splitting failure to pull-out failure. Meanwhile, the peak slip of specimens with splitting failure also increases, and its maximum value does not exceed the peak slip of the corresponding specimens with pull-out failure. The confining capacity of stirrups and concrete cover was unified by a proposed parameter K. Then, a bond stress-slip model based on parameter K was established to predict the bond behavior of ribbed GFRP bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synopsis: The neonatal PURA syndrome manifesting as hypotonia, dyspnea, and feeding difficulties mimic the birth trauma of the spinal cord but can only be diagnosed with sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bandpass filter integrated metalens based on electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) for long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) imaging is designed in this paper. The bandwidth of the metalens, which is a diffractive optical element, decreases significantly with the increase of the aperture size to a fixed f-number, which leads to the decline of imaging performance. The same material composition and preparation process of the metalens and the EIT metasurface in the long-wavelength infrared make it feasible that the abilities of focusing imaging and filtering are integrated into a metasurface device. With the purpose of validating the feasibility of this design method, we have designed a 300-μm-diameter integrated metalens whose f-number is 0.8 and the simulation was carried out. The introduction of EIT metasurface does not affect the focusing near the diffraction limit at the target wavelength, and greatly reduces the influence of stray light caused by non-target wavelength incident light. This bandpass filter integrated metalens design method may have a great potential in the field of LWIR compact optical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The diagnosis and treatment of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in pregnancy is challenging due to its rarity. We aim to analyze and summarize the clinical characteristics of HLH in pregnancy, and to discuss effective diagnostic and treatment options. Methods: Thirteen patients with HLH during pregnancy who were diagnosed and treated at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2000 to December 2019 were studied retrospectively. We collected data on treatment regimens and on maternal and pregnancy outcomes. Results: All patients had a singleton pregnancy, with a median age of 28 years (range, 22–33 years) and a median gestational age of 23 weeks (7–36 weeks). Twelve patients received corticosteroids, and four patients (with/without intravenous immunoglobulin) showed a curative effect. Two patients who were treated with dexamethasone and etoposide after termination of pregnancy achieved complete remission. Two patients attained remission after termination of pregnancy. Four pregnant women died, and the mortality rate was 30.8% (4/13). Fetal or neonatal death up to 1 week after delivery occurred in eight (61.5%) pregnancies. Conclusions: Early diagnosis and treatment are important for maternal survival, and corticosteroids are the first choice for most patients with HLH during pregnancy. For patients who do not respond to corticosteroids, etoposide and termination of pregnancy may be life‐saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The effects of assisted reproductive technology on the outcomes of twin pregnancies are controversial. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the maternal and perinatal outcomes of twin pregnancies conceived spontaneously and those conceived by assisted reproductive technology.Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Data on twin pregnancies (conceived spontaneously and by in vitro fertilization [IVF]/intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]) were obtained from the National Birth Registry of China for the period between 1 October 2016, and 30 September 2017. The primary obstetric outcomes were compared between twin pregnancies conceived by different methods. Logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was used for the multivariate analysis.Results: A total of 3270 twin pregnancies (2003 and 1209 conceived spontaneously and by IVF/ICSI, respectively) were identified. The proportion of twin pregnancies among all pregnancies was 3.4% (3332/97 278). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the incidences of gestational diabetes mellitus (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.42, 95% CI 1.10-1.83, p = 0.007), preterm premature rupture of membranes (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.21-2.25, p = 0.002), placenta accreta spectrum (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.42-3.17, p < 0.001) and postpartum hemorrhage (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.02-1.86, p = 0.037) were significantly higher in the IVF/ICSI group than in the natural pregnancy group. Multivariate analysis also revealed that conception mode was not an independent risk factor for neonate outcomes.Conclusions: In twin pregnancies, IVF/ICSI is independently associated with multiple maternal complications, including gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm premature rupture of membranes and placenta accreta spectrum compared with spontaneous conception, although potential residual confounders due to indications for assisted reproductive technology exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deoxynivalenol (DON) induces intestinal epithelial barrier disruption, posing a threat to the body. Curcumin (Cur) possesses pharmacological bioactivities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that help maintain intestinal health. Here, the protective effects of Cur against DON-induced intestinal epithelial barrier disruption were explored. Cur (75 or 150 mg/kg body weight [B.W.]) alleviated DON-induced (2.4 mg/kg B.W.) inhibition of growth performance and morphological damage to intestinal epithelium in mice. Cur also significantly attenuated DON-induced intestinal epithelial barrier disruption and structural damage to the tight junctions (TJs), as assessed by ultrastructure observation, serum FITC-dextran concentrations and diamine oxidase activity. Cur mitigated the DON-induced increase in reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine levels; p53, cytoplasmic cytochrome c , Bax, and Bcl-2 expression; and TUNEL-positive cell rate and caspase-3 activity. It decreased the total antioxidant capacity and expression of nuclear Nrf2 and its downstream target genes. Lastly, Cur attenuated the DON-induced increase in MLCK, p-MLC, nuclear NF-κB p65 expression, and the NF-κB downstream target genes; decrease in the expression of TJs proteins (claudin-1, occludin, and zonula occludens-1 [ZO-1]); and abnormal ZO-1 distribution. Overall, Cur mitigated the DON-induced disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier by regulating the Nrf2/p53-mediated apoptotic pathway and NF-κB/MLCK-mediated TJs pathway in mice. Cur can mitigate the DON-induced disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier by regulating the Nrf2/p53-mediated apoptotic pathway and NF-κB/MLCK-mediated TJs pathway in mice. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: With a global incidence of more than 10%, preterm birth (PTB) remains a significant concern. The vaginal microbiome strongly influences the well-being of the female reproductive tract. This study examines the correlation between changes in Lactobacillus vaginal microbiota and the PTB risk. Materials and Methods: A thorough search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE was conducted to locate studies that examined the association between changes in Lactobacillus vaginal microbiota and the risk of PTB from January 1, 2010, to January 30, 2023. The risk of PTB was determined by calculating odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: In our analysis, there were 11 studies with 1577 pregnant women. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between higher Lactobacillus abundance and the PTB risk (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29–0.84, p = 0.009 < 0.05). Similarly, the four individual dominant species, Lactobacillus crispatus (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.14–0.67, p = 0.003 < 0.05), Lactobacillus gasseri (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17–0.69, p = 0.003 < 0.05), Lactobacillus iners (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.49–0.93, p = 0.016 < 0.05), and Lactobacillus jensenii (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21–0.89, p = 0.024 < 0.05), were also negatively associated with the PTB risk. The risk of Lactobacillus for PTB was significant in both America (OR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.50–0.92) and Asia (OR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.09–0.47), whereas no significant risk was found in Europe (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.11–2.15). Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the abundance of Lactobacillus and the four dominant individual species (L. crispatus, L. jensenii, L. iners, and L. gasseri) were significantly and negatively associated with the PTB risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a dual-layer hafnium dioxide (HfO2) grating capable of full-color modulation in the visible spectrum by leveraging the magnetic dipole resonance induced by the lower-layer HfO2 grating, while the upper-layer HfO2 grating serves as a refractive index matching layer to effectively suppress high-order Mie resonances at shorter wavelengths. The HfO2/HfO2 grating exhibits a significantly larger distribution area in the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram compared to the HfO2 grating. Furthermore, the structural color saturation closely approximates that of monochromatic light. Under varying background refractive index environments, this structure consistently exhibits high-quality structural color. However, the hue of the structural color undergoes alterations. When the polarization angle is below 20°, the saturation of the acquired structural color remains remarkably consistent. However, exceeding 20° results in a significant degradation in the quality of the structural color. This study demonstrates the promising potential for diverse applications, encompassing fields such as imaging and displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although metasurfaces have received enormous attention and are widely applied in various fields, the realization of multiple functions using a single metasurface is still rarely reported to date. In this work, we propose a novel dual-functional metasurface that can be applied as a mid-infrared narrowband thermal light source in optical gas sensing and a long-wave infrared broadband absorber in photodetection. By actively tailoring the structure and constituent materials of the metasurface, the device yields an absorptivity of over 90% from 8 µm to 14 µm, while it exhibits an emissivity of 97.4% at the center wavelength of 3.56 μm with a full width at half-maximum of 0.41 µm. Notably, the metasurface is insensitive to the incident angle under both TM- and TE-polarized light. The proposed dual-functional metasurface possesses many advantages, including a simple structure, thin thickness, angle and polarization insensitivity, and compatibility with optical devices, which are expected to simplify the existing imaging systems and improve the performance of photodetection equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an Insulator-Metal-Insulator-Metal (IMIM) nano-block array structure, which can achieve tunable single-peak and double-peak perfect absorption properties from visible light to near-infrared. Compared with our previous work, this paper additionally points out that due to the coupling effect between SPPs, the original blue-shifted spectrum is converted into red-shifted during the process of changing the thickness ratio of the middle silver nano-block to the SiO2 nano-block. In the design parameter range, two different structural parameters can be found, in which the absorption peak is exactly the same, and the short-wave absorption peak position has the characteristics of "on" and "off". Based on the nature of absorption spectrum, it can be applied to optical switches in optical circuits. And this work also provides a new idea for plasma sensors, which has broad application prospects in the fields of filtering and imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the association of unicornuate uterus (UU) with adverse obstetric outcomes. Methods: Using data from 26 737 singleton childbirths from a tertiary hospital from 1999 to 2019, we identified 44 births from women with a UU. A total of 367 births from women with a normal uterus were randomly selected as controls. The outcome measures were preterm birth (PTB), breech presentation, and cesarean delivery. The subdivisions of PTB and indications for cesarean delivery were described. Results: The presence of UU was associated with an increased risk of PTB (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–4.9), breech presentation (aRR, 6.2; 95% CI, 2.9–13.2), and cesarean delivery (aRR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.8–2.7). For women with a UU, most PTBs (7/9) were moderate to late PTBs, and approximately half of the PTBs (4/9) were iatrogenic due to preeclampsia (PE). Breech presentation, PE, and prior surgery for rudimentary horn resection were UU‐related indications for cesarean delivery. Conclusions: Women with a UU have a higher risk of PTB, breech presentation, and cesarean delivery. Understanding of the subdivisions of PTBs and indications for cesarean delivery might help clinicians when counseling women with pregnancy complicated by a UU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is the main mechanism of aluminum (Al) reproductive toxicity and can also lead to mitochondrial damage. Damaged mitochondria can trigger apoptosis, leading to testicular damage. PINK1 (phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase1)/Parkin (E3 ubiquitin ligase PARK2)-mediated mitophagy can remove damaged mitochondria to maintain cellular homeostasis. However, its role in testicular damage caused by Al is unclear. In this study, first, 24 male wild type (WT) C57BL/6 N mice were divided into 4 groups and orally administered with 0, 44.825, 89.65, and 179.3 mg/kg body weight AlCl 3 for 90 days, respectively. We demonstrated that apoptosis and PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy were activated in a dose-effect relationship in the damaged testis caused by AlCl 3 , and were most significant at 179.3 mg/kg body weight AlCl 3. Then, 40 male WT C57BL/6 N mice and 40 male Parkin knockout (Parkin−/−) C57BL/6 N mice were divided into 4 groups and orally administered with 0, 179.3, 0 or 179.3 mg/kg body weight AlCl 3 for 90 days, respectively. Parkin−/− inhibited mitophagy, exacerbated the growth inhibition, testicular damage, mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis under AlCl 3 exposure. In general, the results reveal that AlCl 3 exposure can activate PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy, and the PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy plays a protective role in the testicular damage caused by AlCl 3. A graphical abstract of the role of PINK1 (phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase1)/Parkin (E3 ubiquitin ligase PARK2)-mediated mitophagy in Al-induced testicular damage. [Display omitted] • Aluminum (Al) can cause testicular damage in mice. • Al led to oxidative stress and apoptosis in the testicles. • PINK1 is phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase1. • Al-induced PINK1/Parkin (E3 ubiquitin ligase PARK2)-mediated mitophagy in the testicles. • PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy protected against the testicular damage caused by Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longwave infrared (LWIR) optics are essential for several technologies, such as thermal imaging and wireless communication, but their development is hindered by their bulk and high fabrication costs. Metasurfaces have recently emerged as powerful platforms for LWIR integrated optics; however, conventional metasurfaces are highly chromatic, which adversely affects their performance in broadband applications. In this work, the chromatic dispersion properties of metasurfaces are analyzed via ray tracing, and a general method for correcting chromatic aberrations of metasurfaces is presented. By combining the dynamic and geometric phases, the desired group delay and phase profiles are imparted to the metasurfaces simultaneously, resulting in good achromatic performance. Two broadband achromatic metasurfaces based on all-germanium platforms are demonstrated in the LWIR: a broadband achromatic metalens with a numerical aperture of 0.32, an average intensity efficiency of 31%, and a Strehl ratio above 0.8 from 9.6 μm to 11.6 μm, and a broadband achromatic metasurface grating with a constant deflection angle of 30° from 9.6 μm to 11.6 μm. Compared with state-of-the-art chromatic-aberration-restricted LWIR metasurfaces, this work represents a substantial advance and brings the field a step closer to practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]