Search

The nuclear dependence of the inclusive inelastic electron scattering cross section (the EMC effect) has been measured for the first time in B10 and B11. Previous measurements of the EMC effect in A≤12 nuclei showed an unexpected nuclear dependence; B10 and B11 were measured to explore the EMC effect in this region in more detail. Results are presented for Be9, B10, B11, and C12 at an incident beam energy of 10.6 GeV. The EMC effect in the boron isotopes was found to be similar to that for Be9 and C12, yielding almost no nuclear dependence in the EMC effect in the range A=4-12. This represents important new data supporting the hypothesis that the EMC effect depends primarily on the local nuclear environment due to the cluster structure of these nuclei.

OBJECTIVES: Noninvasive technology may assist the emergency department (ED) physician in determining the hemodynamic status in critically ill patients. The objective of our study was to show that ED physicians can accurately measure cardiac index (CI) by performing a bedside focused cardiac ultrasound examination. METHODS: A convenience sample of adult subjects were prospectively enrolled. Cardiac index, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) diameter, velocity time integral (VTI), stroke volume index, and heart rate were obtained by trained ED physicians and a certified cardiac sonographer. The primary outcome was percent of optimal LVOT diameter and VTI measurements as verified by an expert cardiologist. RESULTS: One hundred patients were enrolled, with obtainable CI measurements in 97 patients. Cardiac index, LVOT diameter, VTI, stroke volume index, and heart rate measurements by ED physician were 2.42 ± 0.70 L min(-1) m(-2), 2.07 ± 0.22 cm, 18.30 ± 3.71 cm, 32.34 ± 7.92 mL beat(-1) m(-2), and 75.32 ± 13.45 beats/min, respectively. Measurements of LVOT diameter by ED physicians and sonographer were optimal in 90.0% (95% confidence interval, 82.6%-94.5) and 91.3% (73.2%-97.6%) of patients, respectively. Optimal VTI measurements were obtained in 78.4% (69.2%-85.4%) and 78.3% (58.1%-90.3%) of patients, respectively. In 23 patients, the correlation (r) for CI between ED physician and sonographer was 0.82 (0.60-0.92), with bias and limits of agreement of -0.11 (-1.06 to 0.83) L min(-1) m(-2) and percent difference of 12.4% ± 10.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency department ED physicians can accurately measure CI using standard bedside ultrasound. A focused ultrasound cardiac examination to derive CI has potential use in the management of critical ill patients in the ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE. This study aims to reduce the incidents of restraints by applying a nontraditional consultation process in which a university-based team focused on patient consultations to collect data on treatment interventions and milieu approaches and conditions, as well as staff interactions. CONCLUSIONS. The efforts resulted in restraint reduction from 36 episodes per month to 0 episodes per month as well as precipitating a change in unit climate and care approaches on a specialized unit for patients with developmental disabilities and mental illness. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Reducing the use of restraints involving multiple restraint incident patients is possible with a team-based approach and a specific intervention plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In all fields of business that use information technology, an information management system can improve the efficiency of administration, creating systematic content records and storing data as the foundation for effective management and goal development. However, there is one field in which there is no research on information systems, namely the advertising industry. Thus, this study aims to identify the features of advertisements, and explore the concepts of an information system for the advertising field, adopting a qualitative research method to consider the various designs and menu content of an information system for copy writers.

We introduce a two-pronged strategy comprising focused ultrasound (FUS)-mediated blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening and long-circulating biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) for systemic delivery of nucleic acids to the brain. Biodegradable poly(β-amino ester) polymer-based NPs were engineered to stably package various types of nucleic acid payloads and enable prolonged systemic circulation while retaining excellent serum stability. FUS was applied to a predetermined coordinate within the brain to transiently open the BBB, thereby allowing the systemically administered long-circulating NPs to traverse the BBB and accumulate in the FUS-treated brain region, where plasmid DNA or mRNA payloads produced reporter proteins in astrocytes and neurons. In contrast, poorly circulating and/or serum-unstable NPs, including the lipid NP analogous to a platform used in clinic, were unable to provide efficient nucleic acid delivery to the brain regardless of the BBB-opening FUS. The marriage of FUS-mediated BBB opening and the long-circulating NPs engineered to copackage mRNA encoding CRISPR-associated protein 9 and single-guide RNA resulted in genome editing in astrocytes and neurons precisely in the FUS-treated brain region. The combined delivery strategy provides a versatile means to achieve efficient and site-specific therapeutic nucleic acid delivery to and genome editing in the brain via a systemic route.

Background: We investigated the impacts of tocolytic agents on maternal and neonatal blood glucose levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who used tocolytics for preterm labor., Methods: This multi-center, retrospective cohort study included women with GDM who were admitted for preterm labor from twelve hospitals in South Korea. We excluded women with multiple pregnancies, anomalies, overt DM diagnosed before pregnancy or 23 weeks of gestation, and women who received multiple tocolytics. The patients were divided according to the types of tocolytics; atosiban, ritodrine, and nifedipine group. We collected baseline maternal characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, maternal glucose levels during hospitalization, and neonatal glucose levels. We compared the frequency of maternal hyperglycemia and neonatal hypoglycemia among three groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the contributing factors to the occurrence of maternal hyperglycemia and neonatal hypoglycemia., Results: A total of 128 women were included: 44 (34.4%), 51 (39.8%), and 33 (25.8%) women received atosiban, ritodrine, and nifedipine, respectively. Mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) (112.3, 109.6, and 89.5 mg/dL, P < 0.001) and 2-hour postprandial glucose (PPG2) levels (145.4, 148.3, and 116.5 mg/dL, P = 0.004) were significantly higher in atosiban and ritodrine group than those in nifedipine group. Even after adjusting for covariates including antenatal steroid use, gestational age at admission, and pre-pregnancy body mass index, there was an increased risk of high maternal mean FBG (≥ 95 mg/dL) and PPG2 (≥ 120 mg/dL) levels in the atosiban and ritodrine group than in nifedipine group. The atosiban and ritodrine groups are also at increased risk of neonatal hypoglycemia (< 47 mg/dL) compared to the nifedipine group with the odds ratio of 4.58 and 4.67, respectively ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: There is an increased risk of maternal hyperglycemia and neonatal hypoglycemia in women with GDM using atosiban and ritodrine tocolytics for preterm labor compared to those using nifedipine., Competing Interests: Hyun Soo Park and Hyun-Joo Seol participated in the Tractocile (atosiban) Advisory Board and received consulting fees from Ferring Pharmaceuticals Korea on October 24, 2023. Other authors have no potential conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.)

Background: Short cervical length in the mid-trimester is a powerful predictor of preterm birth. However, clinical significance of cervical length in the third trimester for predicting preterm birth has not been established yet., Objective: To examine the predictive role of a shortened cervix in the third trimester for preterm birth in women who had a normal cervical length in the second trimester STUDY DESIGN: : This retrospective cohort study included women who underwent cervical length measured at least once in both the second trimester (16+0 weeks to 27+6weeks) and the early third trimester (28+0 weeks to 33+6weeks). Women with short cervical length in the second trimester, those with multiple pregnancies, those who underwent cerclage operation, and those who had iatrogenic preterm birth were excluded. The study population were divided into two groups based on cervical length in the third trimester: a short cervix (≤ 25 mm) group and a control group (> 25 mm). Rates of preterm birth (< 37 weeks) were compared between two groups. Predictive performances of cervical length in the third trimester for preterm birth were assessed., Results: Women with a short cervical length at 28+0 to 33+6 weeks accounted for 12.6% (n = 717) of the total study population (n = 5,682). Preterm birth rate was 9.5% in the short cervix group, which was significantly higher than that (3.2%) in the control group (p < 0.001). The adjusted odds ratio for short cervical length on preterm birth was 2.73 (95% CI: 1.96-3.79). A short cervix in the third trimester had a sensitivity of 30.1%, a specificity of 88.1%, a positive predictive value of 9.5%, and a negative predictive value of 96.8% in predicting preterm birth. The addition of third-trimester cervical length to the predictive model significantly increased the area under the curve from 0.64 (95% CI: 0.60-0.68) to 0.67 (95% CI: 0.63-0.71) (p = 0.002), demonstrating improved predictive performance., Conclusions: Approximately 13% of women with normal cervical length in the mid-trimester had a short cervical length after 28 weeks, which increased the risk of preterm birth. The high specificity and negative predictive value of third-trimester cervical length measurements underscore their critical utility in identifying women at low risk for preterm delivery., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this study to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

We report a measurement of exclusive J/ψ and ψ(2s) photoproduction in Au+Au ultraperipheral collisions at sqrt[s&#95;{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR detector. For the first time, (i) the ψ(2s) photoproduction in midrapidity at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider has been experimentally measured; (ii) nuclear suppression factors are measured for both the coherent and incoherent J/ψ production. At average photon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 25.0 GeV, the coherent and incoherent J/ψ cross sections of Au nuclei are found to be 71±10% and 36±7%, respectively, of that of free protons. The stronger suppression observed in the incoherent production provides a new experimental handle to study the initial-state parton density in heavy nuclei. Data are compared with theoretical models quantitatively.

Sesamolin, a lignan isolated from sesame oils, has been found to possess neuroprotective, anticancer, and free radical scavenging properties. We hypothesized that sesamolin could stimulate the activity of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2) and inhibit adipocyte differentiation of preadipocytes. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of sesamolin on adipocyte differentiation and its underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, we determined the effects of treatment with 25 to 100 µM sesamolin on adipogenesis in cell culture systems. Sesamolin inhibited lipid accumulation and suppressed the expression of adipocyte markers during adipocyte differentiation of C3H10T1/2, 3T3-L1, and primary preadipocytes. Mechanism studies revealed that sesamolin increased Nrf2 protein expression without inducing its mRNA, leading to an increase in the expression of Nrf2 target genes such as heme oxygenase 1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (Nqo1) in C3H10T1/2 adipocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These effects were significantly attenuated in Nrf2 knockout (KO) mouse embryonic fibroblasts, indicating that effects of sesamolin were dependent on Nrf2. In H1299 human lung cancer cells with KO of Kelch like-ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), a negative regulator of Nrf2, sesamolin failed to further increase Nrf2 protein expression. However, upon reexpressing Keap1 in Keap1 KO cells, the ability of sesamolin to elevate Nrf2 protein expression was restored, highlighting the crucial role of Keap1 in sesamolin-induced Nrf2 activation. Taken together, these findings show that sesamolin can inhibit adipocyte differentiation through Keap1-mediated Nrf2 activation., Competing Interests: Author Declarations The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mutations in the GBA1 gene have been identified as a prevalent genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). GBA1 mutations impair enzymatic activity, leading to lysosomal dysfunction and elevated levels of α-synuclein (α-syn). While most research has primarily focused on GBA1's role in promoting synucleinopathy, emerging evidence suggests that neuroinflammation may be a key pathogenic alteration caused by GBA1 deficiency. To examine the molecular mechanism underlying GBA1 deficiency-mediated neuroinflammation, we generated Gba1 E326K knock-in (KI) mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which is linked to an increased risk of PD and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In the ventral midbrain and hippocampus of 24-month-old Gba1 E326K KI mice, we found a moderate decline in GBA1 enzymatic activity, a buildup of glucosylceramide, and an increase in microglia density. Furthermore, we observed increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and formation of reactive astrocytes in primary microglia and astrocytes, respectively, cultured from Gba1 E326K KI mice following treatment with pathologic α-syn preformed fibrils (PFF). Additionally, the gut inoculation of α-syn PFF in Gba1 E326K KI mice significantly enhanced the accumulation of Lewy bodies in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, accompanied by aggravated neuroinflammation and exacerbated non-motor symptoms. This research significantly enhances our understanding of the Gba1 E326K mutation's involvement in neuroinflammation and the cell-to-cell transmission of pathogenic α-syn in the brain, thereby opening new therapeutic avenues.

Cancer cachexia, often referred to as "wasting syndrome," is characterized by fatigue, weakness, and involuntary weight loss. This syndrome is concomitant with progressive skeletal muscle atrophy with or without adipose tissue loss and is frequently accompanied by systemic inflammation. Understanding the complexities of cancer cachexia is crucial for early detection and intervention, and it is also paramount for enhancing patient outcomes. Medical imaging, comprising diverse imaging modalities, plays a pivotal role in this context, facilitating the diagnosis and surveillance assessment of both the disease extent and the body composition changes that offer valuable information and insights into disease progression. This article provides a comprehensive discourse of the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical manifestations of cancer cachexia as well as the role of medical imaging in this setting. Particular emphasis is placed on contemporary multidisciplinary and translational research efforts for the development of diagnostic and treatment tools, aiming to mitigate the devastating consequences of cancer cachexia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Currently, coating with anti-reflective materials is an attractive approach to improve the quality of screen-based displays. In this study, mesoporous silica particles were systematically synthesized as a function of surfactant (i.e., CTAC-cetyltrimethylammonium chloride) concentration to serve as main coating fillers possessing low refractive indices. Precisely changing the amount of the CTAC surfactant, silica sol with an average diameter of 50 nm exhibits distinctively different specific surface areas, pore size, and pore volume. Prior to the preparation of final coating solutions containing these silica particle fillers, the percentage of solid content was optimized on a glass slide. The use of 50 wt% solid content exhibited the highest transmittance of light. Among various content levels of silica sol, the use of 3.5 wt% of silica particles in the solid content displayed the highest transmittance (i.e., best anti-reflectiveness). Under the almost identical coating layers prepared with the fixed amount of silica particles possessing different surface areas, pore size, and pore volume, it appears that the largest pore volume played the most important role in improving the anti-reflective properties. Experimentally understanding the key feature of low-refractive filler materials under the optimized conditions could provide a clear view to develop highly effective anti-reflective materials for various display applications.

Mutations in the GBA1 gene are common genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD), disrupting enzymatic activity and causing lysosomal dysfunction, leading to elevated α-synuclein (α-syn) levels. While GBA1's role in synucleinopathy is well-established, recent research underscores neuroinflammation as a significant pathogenic mechanism in GBA1 deficiency. This study investigates neuroinflammation in Gba1 E326K knock-in mice, a model associated with increased PD and dementia risk. At 9 and 24 months, we assessed GBA1 protein and activity, α-synuclein pathology, neurodegeneration, motor deficits, and gliosis in the ventral midbrain and hippocampus using immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot (WB), and GCase assays. Additionally, primary microglia from WT and GBA1E326K/E326K mice were treated with α-syn preformed fibrils (PFF) to study microglia activation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, reactive astrocyte formation, and neuronal death through qPCR, WB, and immunocytochemistry analyses. We also evaluated the effects of gut inoculation of α-syn PFF in Gba1 E326K mice at 7 months and striatal inoculation at 10 months, assessing motor/non-motor symptoms, α-syn pathology, neuroinflammation, gliosis, and neurodegeneration via behavioural tests, IHC, and WB assays. At 24 months, Gba1 E326K knock-in mice showed reduced GCase enzymatic activity and glucosylceramide build-up in the ventral midbrain and hippocampus. Increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive astrocytes were observed in microglia and astrocytes from Gba1 E326K mice treated with pathologic α-syn PFF. Gut inoculation of α-syn PFF increased Lewy body accumulation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, with heightened microglia and astrocyte activation and worsened non-motor symptoms. Intrastriatal α-syn preformed fibril injection induced motor deficits, reactive glial protein accumulation, and tauopathy in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of Gba1 E326K mice. GBA1 deficiency due to the Gba1 E326K mutation exacerbates neuroinflammation and promotes pathogenic α-synuclein transmission, intensifying disease pathology in PD models. This study enhances our understanding of how the Gba1 E326K mutation contributes to neuroinflammation and the spread of pathogenic α-syn in the brain, suggesting new therapeutic strategies for PD and related synucleinopathies., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: The relationship between placental location in pregnancies without previa and adverse pregnancy outcomes has not been well studied. Additionally, the impact of abnormal cord insertion sites remains controversial. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the adverse outcomes associated with placental location and abnormal cord insertion in nulliparous women and to assess their impact on pregnancy outcomes., Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary hospital between January 2019 and June 2022. The study included nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies who delivered live infants and had available data on placental location and umbilical cord insertion site from a second- or third-trimester ultrasound. Placental location was categorized as anterior or posterior using transabdominal ultrasonography. The association between placental location/cord insertion site and pre-eclampsia was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. We compared the area under the curve to evaluate the impact of placental location and cord insertion site on pre-eclampsia., Results: A total of 2219 pregnancies were included in the study. Pre-eclampsia occurred significantly more frequently in the anterior group than in the posterior group (8.21% vs. 3.04%, p  < .001). In multivariate analysis investigating the association between placental location and pre-eclampsia, anterior placenta and marginal cord insertion showed increased odds ratios for pre-eclampsia of 3.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68-6.58) and 3.64 (95% CI 1.90-6.97), respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to predict pre-eclampsia using independent factors from multivariate analyses. Model I, including maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, in vitro fertilization, chronic hypertension, overt diabetes, kidney disease, and hematologic diseases, achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.70 (95% CI 0.65-0.75). Adding cord insertion site and placental location to the model (Model II) improved its predictive performance, resulting in an area under the ROC curve of 0.749 (95% CI 0.70-0.79, p  = .02)., Conclusions: Anterior placenta and marginal cord insertion were associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia. Further studies on prospective cohorts are necessary to validate these findings.

Background: Lung cancer, the second most common cancer, presents persistently dismal prognoses. Radiomics, a promising field, aims to provide novel imaging biomarkers to improve outcomes. However, clinical translation faces reproducibility challenges, despite efforts to address them with quality scoring tools., Objective: This study had two objectives: 1) identify radiomics biomarkers in post-radiotherapy stage III/IV nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, 2) evaluate research quality using the CLEAR (CheckList&#95;for&#95;EvaluAtion&#95;of&#95;Radiomics&#95;research), RQS (Radiomics&#95;Quality&#95;Score) frameworks, and formulate an amalgamated CLEAR-RQS tool to enhance scientific rigor., Materials and Methods: A systematic literature review (Jun-Aug 2023, MEDLINE/PubMed/SCOPUS) was conducted concerning stage III/IV NSCLC, radiotherapy, and radiomic features (RF). Extracted data included study design particulars, such as sample size, radiotherapy/CT technique, selected RFs, and endpoints. CLEAR and RQS were merged into a CLEAR-RQS checklist. Three readers appraised articles utilizing CLEAR, RQS, and CLEAR-RQS metrics., Results: Out of 871 articles, 11 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The Median cohort size was 91 (range: 10-337) with 9 studies being single-center. No common RF were identified. The merged CLEAR-RQS checklist comprised 61 items. Most unreported items were within CLEAR's "methods" and "open-source," and within RQS's "phantom-calibration," "registry-enrolled prospective-trial-design," and "cost-effective-analysis" sections. No study scored above 50% on RQS. Median CLEAR scores were 55.74% (32.33/58 points), and for RQS, 17.59% (6.3/36 points). CLEAR-RQS article ranking fell between CLEAR and RQS and aligned with CLEAR., Conclusion: Radiomics research in post-radiotherapy stage III/IV NSCLC exhibits variability and frequently low-quality reporting. The formulated CLEAR-RQS checklist may facilitate education and holds promise for enhancing radiomics research quality., Clinical Relevance Statement: Current radiomics research in the field of stage III/IV postradiotherapy NSCLC is heterogenous, lacking reproducibility, with no identified imaging biomarker. Radiomics research quality assessment tools may enhance scientific rigor and thereby facilitate radiomics translation into clinical practice., Key Points: There is heterogenous and low radiomics research quality in postradiotherapy stage III/IV nonsmall cell lung cancer. Barriers to reproducibility are small cohort size, nonvalidated studies, missing technical parameters, and lack of data, code, and model sharing. CLEAR (CheckList&#95;for&#95;EvaluAtion&#95;of&#95;Radiomics&#95;research), RQS (Radiomics&#95;Quality&#95;Score), and the amalgamated CLEAR-RQS tool are useful frameworks for assessing radiomics research quality and may provide a valuable resource for educational purposes in the field of radiomics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Complete surgical removal of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is central to all curative treatment approaches for this aggressive disease, yet this is only possible in patients technically amenable to resection. Hence, an accurate assessment of whether patients are suitable for surgery is of paramount importance. The SCANPatient trial aims to test whether implementing a structured synoptic radiological report results in increased institutional accuracy in defining surgical resectability of non-metastatic PDAC., Methods: SCANPatient is a batched, stepped wedge, comparative effectiveness, cluster randomised clinical trial. The trial will be conducted at 33 Australian hospitals all of which hold regular multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDMs) to discuss newly diagnosed patients with PDAC. Each site is required to manage a minimum of 20 patients per year (across all stages). Hospitals will be randomised to begin synoptic reporting within a batched, stepped wedge design. Initially all hospitals will continue to use their current reporting method; within each batch, after each 6-month period, a randomly selected group of hospitals will commence using the synoptic reports, until all hospitals are using synoptic reporting. Each hospital will provide data from patients who (i) are aged 18 or older; (ii) have suspected PDAC and have an abdominal CT scan, and (iii) are presented at a participating MDM. Non-metastatic patients will be documented as one of the following categories: (1) locally advanced and surgically unresectable; (2) borderline resectable; or (3) anatomically clearly resectable (Note: Metastatic disease is treated as a separate category). Data collection will last for 36 months in each batch, and a total of 2400 patients will be included., Discussion: Better classifying patients with non-metastatic PDAC as having tumours that are either clearly resectable, borderline or locally advanced and unresectable may improve patient outcomes by optimising care and treatment planning. The borderline resectable group are a small but important cohort in whom surgery with curative intent may be considered; however, inconsistencies with definitions and an understanding of resectability status means these patients are often incorrectly classified and hence overlooked for curative options., Trial Registration: The SCANPatient trial was registered on 17th May 2023 in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) (ACTRN12623000508673)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Pathologic α-synuclein (α-syn) spreads from cell-to-cell, in part, through binding to the lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (Lag3). Here we report that amyloid β precursor-like protein 1 (Aplp1) interacts with Lag3 that facilitates the binding, internalization, transmission, and toxicity of pathologic α-syn. Deletion of both Aplp1 and Lag3 eliminates the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the accompanying behavioral deficits induced by α-syn preformed fibrils (PFF). Anti-Lag3 prevents the internalization of α-syn PFF by disrupting the interaction of Aplp1 and Lag3, and blocks the neurodegeneration induced by α-syn PFF in vivo. The identification of Aplp1 and the interplay with Lag3 for α-syn PFF induced pathology deepens our insight about molecular mechanisms of cell-to-cell transmission of pathologic α-syn and provides additional targets for therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease and related α-synucleinopathies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Positioning clothing parts ( S s) such as sleeves and collars has been in the realm of manual task that had to be done meticulously in order to prevent unnecessary tanglements during the simulation. This paper proposes an optimization-based method to computerize the above S-positioning task. For that, we embed each S to an abstracting cylinder C such that S-positioning can be done by adjusting only 3  ∼ 4 DOFs (e.g., translating/rotating C or adjusting its radius) instead of per-vertex-full-DOFs. Then, we formulate an objective function E by scoring undesirableness of S' s position (e.g., S penetrating the body, S making cloth-to-cloth intersection). In organizing E into the loop of the Newton's method, the main challenge was to calculate the symbolic gradient and hessian, for which this paper makes several novel contributions. The resultant S-positioning method works quite successfully; S* s (the output of the S-positioning method ) are tanglement-free thus running the simulator to that configuration produces acceptable draping quickly; Experiments show that, in obtaining acceptable draping, the proposed method produces about ×9.7 speed up compared to when not using it.

Since the 1940s, patch tests in healthy volunteers (Human Predictive Patch Tests, HPPTs) have been used to identify chemicals that cause skin sensitization in humans. Recently, we reported the results of a major curation effort to support the development of OECD Guideline 497 on Defined Approaches (DAs) for skin sensitization (OECD in Guideline No. 497: Defined Approaches on Skin Sensitisation, 2021a. https://doi.org/10.1787/b92879a4-en ). In the course of this work, we compiled and published a database of 2277 HPPT results for 1366 unique test substances (Strickland et al. in Arch Toxicol 97:2825-2837, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-023-03530-3 ). Here we report a detailed analysis of the value of HPPT data for classification of chemicals as skin sensitizers under the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). As a result, we propose the dose per skin area (DSA) used for classification by the GHS to be replaced by or complemented with a dose descriptor that may better reflect sensitization incidence [e.g., the DSA causing induction of sensitization in one individual (DSA1+) or the DSA leading to an incidence of induction in 5% of the tested individuals (DSA05)]. We also propose standardized concepts and workflows for assessing individual HPPT results, for integrating multiple HPPT results and for using them in concert with Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) data in a weight of evidence (WoE) assessment. Overall, our findings show that HPPT results are often not sufficient for deriving unambiguous classifications on their own. However, where they are, the resulting classifications are reliable and reproducible and can be integrated well with those from other skin sensitization data, such as the LLNA., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Background: GBA1 mutations are the most common genetic risk factor for development of Parkinson's disease (PD). The loss of catalytic activity in GBA1, as well as the reduction of the GBA1 protein in certain cellular compartment, may increase disease progression. However, the mechanisms underlying cellular dysfunction caused by GBA1 deficiency are still mostly unknown., Objective: In this study, we focus on the genetic interaction between GBA1 deficiency and PD-causing genes, such as DJ-1, in mitochondrial dysfunction., Methods: GBA1 knockout (KO) SH-SY5Y cells were used to assess DJ-1 functions against oxidative stress in vitro. The levels of cellular reactive oxygen species were monitored with MitoSOX reagent. The expression of the PARK7 gene was analyzed using the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). To understand the mechanism underlying DJ-1 upregulation in GBA1 KO cells, we assess ROS levels, antioxidant protein, and cell viability in GBA1 KO cells with treatment of ROS inhibitor N-acetyl-cysteine or miglustat, which is an inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthase. Dopaminergic degeneration was assessed from Gba1 L444P heterozygous mice mated with Park7 knockout mice., Results: We find that DJ-1 is significantly upregulated in GBA1 KO cells. Elevated levels of DJ-1 are attributed to the transcriptional expression of PARK7 mRNA, but not the inhibition of DJ-1 protein degradation. Because DJ-1 expression is highly linked to oxidative stress, we observe cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in GBA1 KO cells. Moreover, several antioxidant gene expressions and protein levels are increased in GBA1 KO cells. To this end, GBA1 KO cells are more susceptible to H 2 O 2 -induced cell death. Importantly, there is a significant reduction in dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain from Gba1 L444P heterozygous mice mated with Park7 knockout mice, followed by mild motor dysfunction., Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that DJ-1 upregulation due to GBA1 deficiency has a protective role against oxidative stress. It may be supposed that mutations or malfunctions in the DJ-1 protein may have disadvantages in the survival of dopaminergic neurons in the brains of patients harboring GBA1 mutations., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Genetics Society of Korea.)

Recent evidence has revealed associations between endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and placental insufficiency due to altered placental growth, syncytialization, and trophoblast invasion. However, no epidemiologic study has reported associations between exposure to EDCs and asymmetric fetal growth restriction (FGR) caused by placenta insufficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between EDC exposure and asymmetric FGR. This was a prospective cohort study including women admitted for delivery to the Maternal Fetal Center at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital between October 2021 and October 2022. Maternal urine and cord blood samples were collected, and the levels of bisphenol-A (BPA), monoethyl phthalates, and perfluorooctanoic acid in each specimen were analyzed. We investigated linear and non-linear associations between the levels of EDCs and fetal growth parameters, including the head circumference (HC)/abdominal circumference (AC) ratio as an asymmetric parameter. The levels of EDCs were compared between fetuses with and without asymmetric FGR. Of the EDCs, only the fetal levels of BPA showed a linear association with the HC/AC ratio after adjusting for confounding variables ( β  = 0.003, p  < 0.05). When comparing the normal growth and asymmetric FGR groups, the asymmetric FGR group showed significantly higher maternal and fetal BPA levels compared to the normal growth group (maternal urine BPA, 3.99 μg/g creatinine vs. 1.71 μg/g creatinine [ p  < 0.05]; cord blood BPA, 1.96 μg/L vs. -0.86 μg/L [ p  < 0.05]). In conclusion, fetal exposure levels of BPA show linear associations with asymmetric fetal growth patterns. High maternal and fetal exposure to BPA might be associated with asymmetric FGR., Competing Interests: MY and HWK were employed by the company Goodbeing Center Co. Ltd., Republic of Korea. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hong, Kang, Kim, Won, Kim, Wie, Shin, Choi, Jo, Kim, Yang, Kang, Lee, Park, Park and Ko.)

Clinical implication of a single abnormal value (SAV) in the 100 g oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy has not been established. We aimed to evaluate the risk of postpartum type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and investigate adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with SAV, using a retrospective database, from seven medical centers of Korea. Based on the Carpenter-Coustan criteria using two-step approach, pregnancy and postpartum outcomes were compared, among normoglycemic, SAV, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) groups. Among 9353 women, 342 (3.66%) and 418(4.47%) women were included in SAV and GDM groups, respectively. SAV and GDM groups showed significantly higher rates of postpartum T2DM than normoglycemic group (7.60%, 14.83%, and 1.82%, respectively, p < 0.001). And SAV group showed significantly higher rates of pregnancy associated hypertension, preterm birth, and neonatal hypoglycemia and sepsis, compared to normoglycemic group (neonatal sepsis, p = 0.008; the others, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, postpartum T2DM was associated with SAV, GDM (with/without insulin), nulliparity, pre-pregnancy BMI, chronic hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and DM family history. A scoring model to predict postpartum T2DM within 5 years, achieved an area under the curve of 0.74. This study demonstrated that not only GDM, but also SAV is a significant risk factor for postpartum T2DM., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Although pregnancy-associated heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasing and contributing to maternal morbidity, little is known about its impact on pregnancy. We examined the risk factors for and adverse pregnancy outcomes of HFpEF in pregnant women., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of pregnancy-related hospitalizations from 2009 to 2020 using the perinatal database of seven multicenters. Cases of HFpEF were identified using the International Classification of Diseases and echocardiography findings. The patients were categorized into the HFpEF and control groups. Risk factors were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis to generate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Furthermore, adjusted associations between HFpEF and adverse pregnancy outcomes were determined. Risk scores for the stratification of women at a high risk of HFpEF were calculated using a statistical scoring model., Results: Of the 34,392 women identified, 258 (0.76%) were included in the HFpEF group. In multivariate analysis, HFpEF was significantly associated with old maternal age (OR, 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.07), multiple pregnancy (OR, 2.22; 95% CI 1.53-3.23), rheumatic disease (OR, 2.56; 95% CI 1.54-4.26), pregnancy induce hypertension (OR 6.02; 95% CI 3.61-10.05), preeclampsia (OR 24.66; 95% CI 18.61-32.66), eclampsia or superimposed preeclampsia (OR 32.74; 95% CI 21.60-49.64) and transfusion in previous pregnancy (OR 3.89; 95% CI 1.89-8.01). A scoring model to predict HFpEF with those factors achieved an area under the curve of 0.78 at cutoff value of 3. Women with HFpEF also had increased odds ratios of intensive care unit admission during the perinatal period (odds ratio, 5.98; 95% confidence interval, 4.36-8.21) and of postpartum hemorrhage (odds ratio, 5.98; 95% confidence interval, 2.02-3.64)., Conclusions: Pregnancy-associated HFpEF is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. A scoring model may contribute to screening HFpEF using echocardiography and preparing adverse pregnancy outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Importance: Multiple pregnancy is relatively common in many countries and is associated with various pregnancy complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies. In particular, a poorer prognosis has been reported when congenital anomalies overlap with other pregnancy complications in multiple pregnancy compared with singleton pregnancy., Objective: This study reviews the characteristics of congenital anomalies that occur in multiple gestations as compared with singleton pregnancies., Evidence Acquisition: An extensive manual search of major electronic databases was conducted in June 2023. This literature review provides a comprehensive coverage of the congenital anomalies in multiple pregnancy., Results: Most studies have shown that multiple gestations are associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies compared with singleton pregnancies. In addition, higher rates of congenital anomalies and concordance have been observed in monozygotic versus dizygotic twins. The effect of assisted reproductive therapies on the risk of congenital anomalies appears to be smaller in multiple gestations than in singleton pregnancies., Conclusions: Multiple pregnancy is significantly associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies., Relevance: This review provides obstetrical providers with the requisite knowledge to offer appropriate antenatal care and prenatal anomaly screening to patients with multiple pregnancies.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is one of the leading causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Many studies have reported an association between FGR and fetal Doppler indices focusing on umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and ductus venosus (DV). The uteroplacental-fetal circulation which affects the fetal growth consists of not only UA, MCA, and DV, but also umbilical vein (UV), placenta and uterus itself. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of large-scale cohort studies that have assessed the association between UV, uterine wall, and placental thickness with perinatal outcomes in FGR, in conjunction with all components of the uteroplacental-fetal circulation. Therefore, this multicenter study will evaluate the association among UV absolute flow, placental thickness, and uterine wall thickness and adverse perinatal outcome in FGR fetuses. This multicenter retrospective cohort study will include singleton pregnant women who undergo at least one routine fetal ultrasound scan during routine antepartum care. Pregnant women with fetuses having structural or chromosomal abnormalities will be excluded. The U-AID indices (UtA, UA, MCA, and UV flow, placental and uterine wall thickness, and estimated fetal body weight) will be measured during each trimester of pregnancy. The study population will be divided into two groups: (1) FGR group (pregnant women with FGR fetuses) and (2) control group (those with normal growth fetus). We will assess the association between U-AID indices and adverse perinatal outcomes in the FGR group and the difference in U-AID indices between the two groups., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Choi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

This study aimed to assess the current status of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis and management, and the demand for a digital healthcare system, in order to develop an optimal digital-based management model for GDM. An anonymous online survey was conducted targeting pregnant/postpartum women (Group W), internal medicine physicians (Group P), and obstetricians (group O) from September 6, 2022 to December 31, 2022. The survey assessed the women's knowledge of GDM and gathered information about healthcare professionals' (HCPs) current GDM management practices. All groups were asked about their acceptance of and demands for a digital healthcare system for GDM. Statistical comparisons between groups were conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test where appropriate. A total of 168 participants were in Group W, 185 in Group P, and 256 in Group O. Participants from all groups recognized the need for a digital healthcare system for GDM (Group W: 95.8%, Group P: 85.9%, Group O: 60%). However, HCPs showed less willingness to integrate these systems into their clinics than pregnant/postpartum women. Essential features identified were recording blood glucose levels and insulin, along with automatic data linkage from self-monitoring devices. Group W showed a higher preference for lab test access, search functionality, and fetal weight assessment than groups P and O (all P  < .0001), while Groups P and O had a greater preference for recording insulin and maternal body weight compared to Group W ( P  = .0141 and .0023, respectively). Both pregnant/postpartum women and HCPs acknowledged the benefits of utilizing a digital healthcare system for managing GDM. However, there were differences in perspectives among these groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at sqrt[s&#95;{NN}]=200  GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild p&#95;{T} dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and p&#95;{T} dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

Critical to the evaluation of non-animal tests are reference data with which to assess their relevance. Animal data are typically used because they are generally standardized and available. However, when regulatory agencies aim to protect human health, human reference data provide the benefit of not having to account for possible interspecies variability. To support the evaluation of non-animal approaches for skin sensitization assessment, we collected data from 2277 human predictive patch tests (HPPTs), i.e., human repeat insult patch tests and human maximization tests, for skin sensitization from 1555 publications. We recorded protocol elements and positive or negative outcomes, developed a scoring system to evaluate each test for reliability, and calculated traditional and non-traditional dose metrics. We also traced each test result back to its original report to remove duplicates. The resulting database, which contains information for 1366 unique substances, was characterized for physicochemical properties, chemical structure categories, and protein binding mechanisms. This database is publicly available on the National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods website and in the Integrated Chemical Environment to serve as a resource for additional evaluation of alternative methods and development of new approach methodologies for skin sensitization assessments., (© 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Objectives: To critically appraise methodology and reproducibility of published studies on CT radiomics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)., Methods: PRISMA literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus databases was conducted from June to August 2022 relating to CT radiomics human research articles pertaining to PDAC diagnosis, treatment, and/ or prognosis, utilising Image Biomarker Standardisation Initiative-compliant (IBSI) radiomic software. Keyword search included [pancreas OR pancreatic] AND [radiomic OR [quantitative AND imaging] OR [texture AND analysis]]. Analysis included cohort size, CT protocol used, radiomic feature (RF) extraction, segmentation, and selection, software used, outcome correlation, and statistical methodology, with focus on reproducibility., Results: Initial search yielded 1112 articles; however, only 12 articles met all inclusion/exclusion criteria. Cohort sizes ranged from 37 to 352 (median = 106, mean = 155.8). CT slice thickness varied among studies (4 using ≤ 1 mm, 5 using > 1 to 3 mm, 2 using > 3 to 5 mm, 1 not specifying). CT protocol varied (5 using a single portal-venous (pv)-phase, 5 using a pancreas protocol, 1 study using a non-contrast protocol). RF extraction and segmentation were heterogeneous (RF extraction: 5 using pv-phase, 2 using late arterial, 4 using multi-phase, 1 using non-contrast phase; RF selection: 3 pre-selected, 9 software-selected). 2D/3D RF segmentation was diverse (2D in 6, 3D in 4, 2D and 3D in 2 studies). Six different radiomics software were used. Research questions and cohort characteristics varied, ultimately leading to non-comparable outcome results., Conclusion: The current twelve published IBSI-compliant PDAC radiomic studies show high variability and often incomplete methodology resulting in low robustness and reproducibility., Clinical Relevance Statement: Radiomics research requires IBSI compliance, data harmonisation, and reproducible feature extraction methods for non-invasive imaging biomarker discoveries to be valid. This will ensure a successful clinical implementation and ultimately an improvement of patient outcomes as part of precision and personalised medicine., Key Points: • Current state of radiomics research in pancreatic cancer shows low software compliance to the Image Biomarker Standardisation Initiative (IBSI). • IBSI-compliant radiomics studies in pancreatic cancer are heterogeneous and not comparable, and the majority of study designs showed low reproducibility. • Improved methodology and standardisation of practice in the emerging field of radiomics has the potential of this non-invasive imaging biomarker in the management of pancreatic cancer., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of vanishing twin (VT) on maternal serum marker concentrations and nuchal translucency (NT)., Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study in 12 institutions. Serum concentrations of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in the first trimester and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), total human chorionic gonadotrophin, unconjugated estriol, and inhibin A in the second trimester were measured, and NT was measured between 10 and 14 weeks of gestation., Results: Among 6,793 pregnant women, 5,381 women were measured for serum markers in the first or second trimester, including 65 cases in the VT group and 5,316 cases in the normal singleton group. The cases in the VT group had a higher median multiple of the median value of AFP and inhibin A than the normal singleton group. The values of other serum markers and NT were not different between the two groups. After the permutation test with adjustment, AFP and inhibin A remained significant differences. The frequency of abnormally increased AFP was also higher in the VT group than in the normal singleton group., Conclusion: VT can be considered as an adjustment factor for risk assessment in the second-trimester serum screening test., Competing Interests: All authors have no potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.)

Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality globally. PTB rates have increased in South Korea despite reduction in birth rates. A history of PTB is a strong predictor of subsequent PTB and screening of cervical length between 16 0/7 weeks and 24 0/7 weeks of gestation is recommended in women with a singleton pregnancy and a prior spontaneous PTB. However, the prediction and prevention of spontaneous PTBs in women without a prior PTB remain a matter of debate. The scope of this review article comprises cervical screening and prevention strategies for PTB in asymptomatic women without a prior PTB, based on recent evidence and guidelines.

This study developed a machine learning algorithm to predict gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using retrospective data from 34,387 pregnancies in multi-centers of South Korea. Variables were collected at baseline, E0 (until 10 weeks' gestation), E1 (11-13 weeks' gestation) and M1 (14-24 weeks' gestation). The data set was randomly divided into training and test sets (7:3 ratio) to compare the performances of light gradient boosting machine (LGBM) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithms, with a full set of variables (original). A prediction model with the whole cohort achieved area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPR) values of 0.711 and 0.246 at baseline, 0.720 and 0.256 at E0, 0.721 and 0.262 at E1, and 0.804 and 0.442 at M1, respectively. Then comparison of three models with different variable sets were performed: [a] variables from clinical guidelines; [b] selected variables from Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) values; and [c] Boruta algorithms. Based on model [c] with the least variables and similar or better performance than the other models, simple questionnaires were developed. The combined use of maternal factors and laboratory data could effectively predict individual risk of GDM using a machine learning model., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Ionic wind, which is generated by a corona discharge, is a promising field that offers significant advantages by directly converting electrical energy into kinetic energy. Because of the electrical characteristics of ionic wind, most studies aiming to improve the performance of ionic wind generators have focused on modifying the geometry of electrode configurations. A mesh-type electrode is one of the electrodes used as a collecting electrode in an ionic wind generator. Using a mesh electrode results in decreased momentum of the ionic wind and increased pressure drop due to frictional loss of the flow. In this study, to minimize the reduction in momentum, a mesh electrode with a central hole was proposed and investigated. Experiments were conducted with the configuration of a needle and mesh with the central hole. These experiments analyzed the effect of the central hole diameter and the distance between the needle and the mesh electrodes on the electrical and physical characteristics of the ionic wind. The addition of the central hole led to a higher average velocity and lower current, thus resulting in increased energy conversion efficiency. The presented configuration offers a simple geometry without electrical and physical interference from complex configurations, and it is considered to have the potential to improve energy conversion efficiency and optimize ionic wind flow.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer advantages for disease modeling and drug discovery. However, recreating innate cellular pathologies, particularly in late-onset neurodegenerative diseases with accumulated protein aggregates including Parkinson's disease (PD), has been challenging. To overcome this barrier, we developed an optogenetics-assisted α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation induction system (OASIS) that rapidly induces α-syn aggregates and toxicity in PD hiPSC-midbrain dopaminergic neurons and midbrain organoids. Our OASIS-based primary compound screening with SH-SY5Y cells identified 5 candidates that were secondarily validated with OASIS PD hiPSC-midbrain dopaminergic neurons and midbrain organoids, leading us to finally select BAG956. Furthermore, BAG956 significantly reverses characteristic PD phenotypes in α-syn preformed fibril models in vitro and in vivo by promoting autophagic clearance of pathological α-syn aggregates. Following the FDA Modernization Act 2.0's emphasis on alternative non-animal testing methods, our OASIS can serve as an animal-free preclinical test model (newly termed "nonclinical test") for the synucleinopathy drug development., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests M.S.K., E.A.R., H.S.K., and G.L. are inventors of a patent related to this study. G.L. is a scientific founder, shareholder, and serves as scientific advisors of Vita Therapeutics., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we prepared visible light-curable methacrylated glycol chitosan (MGC) hydrogel patches for the prenatal treatment of fetal myelomeningocele (MMC) and investigated their feasibility using a retinoic acid-induced fetal MMC rat model. 4, 5, and 6 w/v% of MGC were selected as candidate precursor solutions, and photo-cured for 20 s, because the resulting hydrogels were found to possess concentration dependent tunable mechanical properties and structural morphologies. Moreover, these materials exhibited no foreign body reactions with good adhesive properties in animal studies. The inflammation scoring assessment in vivo exhibited the absence of foreign body reactions in MGC hydrogel treated lesion. The complete epithelial coverage of MMC was made with using 6 w/v% MGC hydrogel followed by well-organized granulation along with noticeable decrease of abortion rate and wound size that highlight the therapeutic potential for the prenatal treatment of fetal MMC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The elliptic (v&#95;{2}) and triangular (v&#95;{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s&#95;{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p&#95;{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v&#95;{2}(p&#95;{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v&#95;{3}(p&#95;{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

This study aimed to develop an early pregnancy risk scoring model for pregnancy-associated hypertension (PAH) based on maternal pre-pregnancy characteristics, such as mean arterial pressure (MAP), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) or neither. The perinatal databases of seven hospitals from January 2009 to December 2020 were randomly divided into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 70:30. The data of a total pregnant restricted population (women not taking aspirin during pregnancy) were analyzed separately. Three models (model 1, pre-pregnancy factors only; model 2, adding MAP; model 3, adding MAP and PAPP-A) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) risk factors model were compared. A total of 2840 (8.11%) and 1550 (3.3%) women subsequently developed PAH and preterm PAH, respectively. Performances of models 2 and 3 with areas under the curve (AUC) over 0.82 in both total population and restricted population were superior to those of model 1 (with AUCs of 0.75 and 0.748, respectively) and the ACOG risk model (with AUCs of 0.66 and 0.66) for predicting PAH and preterm PAH. The final scoring system with model 2 for predicting PAH and preterm PAH showed moderate to good performance (AUCs of 0.78 and 0.79, respectively) in the test set. "A risk scoring model for PAH and preterm PAH with pre-pregnancy factors and MAP showed moderate to high performances. Further prospective studies for validating this scoring model with biomarkers and uterine artery Doppler or without them might be required".