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Microtwinning is observed as an important mechanism in γ′ precipitate-strengthened Ni-based superalloys during service at intermediate temperatures. Here, the effect of crystal orientation and stress direction on microtwinning was investigated. The result indicates that the formation of microtwins exhibits orientation dependence and tension-compression asymmetry. Based on the analysis of slip and twinning competition behavior under different conditions, it is deemed that the a/2〈110〉 matrix dislocations would dissociate into a/6〈112〉 Shockley partials in the γ matrix and then a Shockley partial sheared γ’ phase and formed microtwins.

Abstract Mine flooding accidents have occurred frequently in recent years, and the predicting of mine water inflow is one of the most crucial flood warning indicators. Further, the mine water inflow is characterized by non-linearity and instability, making it difficult to predict. Accordingly, we propose a time series prediction model based on the fusion of the Transformer algorithm, which relies on self-attention, and the LSTM algorithm, which captures long-term dependencies. In this paper, Baotailong mine water inflow in Heilongjiang Province is used as sample data, and the sample data is divided into different ratios of the training set and test set in order to obtain optimal prediction results. In this study, we demonstrate that the LSTM-Transformer model exhibits the highest training accuracy when the ratio is 7:3. To improve the efficiency of search, the combination of random search and Bayesian optimization is used to determine the network model parameters and regularization parameters. Finally, in order to verify the accuracy of the LSTM-Transformer model, the LSTM-Transformer model is compared with LSTM, CNN, Transformer and CNN–LSTM models. The results prove that LSTM-Transformer has the highest prediction accuracy, and all the indicators of its model are well improved.

Abstract Background The identification and assessment of environmental risks are crucial for the primary prevention of congenital heart disease (CHD). We were aimed to establish a nomogram model for CHD in the offspring of pregnant women and validate it using a large CHD database in Northwest China. Methods A survey was conducted among 29,204 women with infants born between 2010 and 2013 in Shaanxi province, Northwest China. Participants were randomly assigned to the training set and to the validation set at a ratio of 7:3. The importance of predictive variables was assessed using random forest. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to construct the nomogram for the prediction of CHD. Results Multivariate analyses revealed that the gravidity, preterm birth history, family history of birth defects, infection, taking medicine, tobacco exposure, pesticide exposure and singleton/twin pregnancy were significant predictive risk factors for CHD in the offspring of pregnant women. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the prediction model was 0.716 (95% CI: 0.671, 0.760) in the training set and 0.714 (95% CI: 0.630, 0.798) in the validation set, indicating moderate discrimination. The prediction model exhibited good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 = 1.529, P = 0.910). Conclusions We developed and validated a predictive nomogram for CHD in offspring of Chinese pregnant women, facilitating the early prenatal assessment of the risk of CHD and aiding in health education.

Objective : To examine the effects of peripheral blood eosinophil (EOS) count and its dynamic alterations on the treatment efficacy and prognosis of patients with advanced hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) receiving camrelizumab combined with lenvatinib (C + L) therapy. Methods : A retrospective analysis was performed on 200 patients with advanced HBV-HCC who were admitted to two centers from January 2018 to August 2023 and treated with C + L. EOS, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were determined before C + L treatment (EOS0, NLR0, and PLR0) and after three cycles of treatment (EOS3, NLR3, and PLR3). The area under the curve was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. NLR and PLR served as references to analyze the effect of differences in EOS in predicting the survival efficacy of patients with HBV-HCC treated using C + L. The independent risk factors affecting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional risk models. Results : The ROC curve revealed that the predictive value of EOS3 was better than those of NLR3 and PLR3 for the long-term treatment efficacy of patients with intermediate and advanced HBV-HCC receiving C + L. Statistically significant differences were observed between groups with different levels of EOS0 and EOS3 and the evaluation of treatment efficacy after 3 weeks ( P

The traditional view holds that the dominant deformation mechanism of Ni-based single crystal superalloys at intermediate temperatures (both in tension and creep) is stacking fault shearing γ’ phases. Here, we provide direct evidence to prove that the dominant deformation mechanisms of tension and creep are different. The orientation rotation path during tensile at 750 °C has been observed by in-situ electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The result indicates that the dominant mechanism of tensile deformation at intermediate temperature is the movement of matrix dislocations, which is different from the dominant mechanism of the creep process, the stacking fault shearing γ’ phases.

BackgroundBilateral ductus arteriosus (BDA) is a relatively rare vascular malformation. According to the double arch theory, BDA is formed when the distal ends of the sixth pairs of primitive arches on the left and right sides have not regressed. We describe a fetus with prenatal echocardiographic findings of BDA and right aortic arch mirror-image branching (RAA-MIB) combined with congenital heart disease. Furthermore, to gain a deeper understanding of the embryological mechanism of BDA, we review the literature on all combinations of BDA present in 40 fetuses/infants.Case summaryA 22-year-old female patient underwent fetal echocardiography at 23 weeks of gestation. Both the two-dimensional (2D) grayscale image and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) revealed dextro-transposition of the great arteries combined with a ventricular septal defect and RAA-MIB. The following scan revealed a rare vascular ring, which was identified as BDA extending from the confluent of the left pulmonary artery and right pulmonary artery, completely encircling the trachea to form an “O”-shaped vascular ring before finally converging into the descending aorta. A persistent left superior vena cava was also observed. We subsequently used four-dimensional (4D) color Doppler imaging with the spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) HD live flow and STIC HD live flow silhouette mode to clearly display ventricular arterial connectivity and the direction of vessel travel. Adjusting the image quality and display angle is very important when applying STIC. The 4D images confirmed our diagnosis. After multidisciplinary counseling and discussion with her family, this female patient decided to terminate the pregnancy.ConclusionOur review of the literature summarized nine combinations classified into three types of BDA and aortic arch pathology. However, our case differs because it is a novel combination of intracardiac structural abnormalities and vascular rings in a fetus. Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of BDA is important and requires a combination of 2D grayscale, CDFI, and STIC images to assist in scanning.

Abstract Background Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent birth defect in recent decades. The aim of this research was to examine the association between maternal housing renovation exposure during the periconceptional period and isolated congenital heart disease (CHD) in their offspring. Methods A multi-hospitals case-control study was conducted from six tertiary A hospitals in Xi’an, Shaanxi, Northwest China based on questionnaires and interviews to address this question. The cases included fetuses or newborns diagnosed with CHD. Controls consisted of healthy newborns without birth defects. In total, 587 cases and 1180 controls were enrolled in this study. The association between maternal periconceptional housing renovation exposure and isolated CHD for offspring was assessed by estimating odds ratios (OR) with multivariate logistic regression models. Results After adjusting for potential confounding variables, it was found that maternal exposure to home improvement projects was associated with a higher probability of isolated CHD in offspring (adjusted OR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.34, 2.33). Additionally, the risk of the ventricular septal defect (VSD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) for CHD types was significantly associated with maternal exposure to housing renovations (VSD: adjusted OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.41; PDA: adjusted OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.41, 4.45). Conclusions Our study suggests that maternal exposure to housing renovation during the periconceptional period was associated with an increased risk of isolated CHD in offspring. Consequently, it would be beneficial to avoid living in a renovated home from 12 months before pregnancy through the first trimester to lower isolated CHD in infants.

IntroductionAlthough it is well-known that obesity increases the risk of gestational hypertension (GH) in both spontaneous and assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancies. Recent data show that, in ART pregnancies, frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) is associated with an even higher risk of GH compared with fresh transfer. However, the relationship between pre-gravid body mass index (BMI) and GH in FET pregnancies has seldom been reported.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine the effect of pre-gravid BMI on GH in singleton pregnancy following FET.MethodsA retrospective cohort study at a tertiary hospital, including a total of 7,502 women who achieved singleton pregnancy after FET, was included. All patients were enrolled only once. On the basis of the BMI definitions of the Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC) and the World Health Organization, the women were divided into normal BMI, overweight, and obese groups. The main outcome was GH, and the effect of pre-pregnancy BMI on GH was assessed by generalized linear model.ResultsThe risk of GH in our study population was 6.15%. According to the BMI definitions of the WGOC, the risk of GH in the obese group (15.55%) was significantly higher than that of the overweight group (8.26%, P < 0.001) and the normal BMI group (4.68%, P < 0.001). Pre-gravid overweight and obesity were associated with higher GH risk (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.41–2.20; P < 0.001; OR, 3.69; 95% CI, 2.77–4.91; P < 0.001). A non-linear relationship between pre-gravid BMI and GH was observed. The risk of GH decreased with pre-gravid BMI level up to the turning point of BMI = 28.6 kg/m2 (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.12–1.21; P < 0.001).ConclusionPre-gravid overweight and obesity are associated with higher GH risk among singleton pregnancy following FET. Before the turning point of BMI = 26.8 kg/m2, the risk of GH may increase 16.4% with each one-unit increment of maternal BMI. Women preparing for FET should maintain a normal BMI to lower the chances of GH.

AimThis study aims to construct a prediction model for histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) and analyze the associations between the predicted risk of HCA and adverse outcomes in preterm infants.MethodsIn total, 673 subjects were included in this cohort study and divided into HCA group (n = 195) and non-HCA group (n = 478). A stepwise method was used to screen the predictors for HCA, binary logistic regression was used to construct the prediction model, and the associations between the predicted risk of HCA and adverse outcomes were analyzed.ResultsHCA occurred in 195 patients, accounting for 29.0%. The sensitivity of the prediction model was 0.821 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.767–0.874)], the specificity was 0.684 (95% CI: 0.642–0.726), the positive predictive value was 0.514 (0.459–0.570), the negative predictive value was 0.903 (95% CI: 0.873–0.934), the area under the curve was 0.821 (95% CI: 0.786–0.855), and the accuracy was 0.724 (95% CI: 0.690–0.757). The predicted risk of HCA was associated with a higher risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) [odds ratio (OR) = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.10–10.95)], sepsis (OR = 6.66, 95% CI: 2.17–20.43), and neonatal infections (OR = 9.85, 95% CI: 3.59–26.98), but not necrotizing enterocolitis (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.24–1.88), retinopathy of prematurity (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.37–6.85), and brain damage (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 0.82–3.83). After adjusting for confounders including gestational week at birth and birth weight, the risk of neonatal infections (OR = 5.03, 95% CI: 2.69–9.41) was increased in preterm infants’ exposure to HCA.ConclusionThe model showed good predictive performance for identifying pregnant women with a higher risk of HCA. In addition, HCA was associated with the risk of BPD, sepsis, and infections in neonates.

The effect of Fe addition on γ′ precipitates in Ni–20Co-xFe-12Cr-7.5Al-7.5Ti-1.5 W (where x = 0 or 4 at.%) single crystal superalloys during thermal exposure process was systematically studied. The results showed that the alloys presented a good microstructure stability and no any harmful TCP phases were formed in the long-term aged microstructures (such as, 1000 °C for 1000 h). And, the Fe addition had an obvious influence on the volume fraction of γ′ precipitates, γ/γ′ lattice misfit, and the morphology of γ′ precipitates. The higher Fe content enabled the γ matrix to contain more Al and Ti elements, resulting in a lower volume fraction of γ′ precipitates. Simultaneously, the higher content of Al and Ti in γ matrix enlarged the lattice constant of γ matrix and decreased the γ/γ′ lattice misfit from 0.30% to 0.11%, which further induced the morphology of γ′ precipitates changing from the cuboidal shape to the spheroidal shape. Furthermore, the coarsening behavior of γ′ precipitates was analyzed and a corresponding mechanism was proposed that the alloy with Fe addition had a higher coarsening rate of γ′ precipitates during thermal exposure process compared to the alloy without Fe addition, which might result from a lower diffusion activation energy and a larger γ/γ′ interfacial energy.

This work focuses on the epitaxial growth process and kinetics of silicon-based Ir/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) bilayer films prepared by PLD and magnetron sputtering, including the sequential growth of a YSZ film, an Ir seed layer, and an Ir film on a silicon substrate. The results show that for growing YSZ films by PLD at the target-to-substrate distance of 60 mm, the higher the laser energy density and the oxygen pressure, the lower the laser frequency, the higher the epitaxy quality. In addition, for the preparation of the Ir-seed layer by PLD, background gas decelerates the plasma and suppresses self-sputtering and implantation, which is beneficial to obtaining a high-quality seed layer. In particular, introducing a small amount of oxygen is able to improve the epitaxial quality of the films during the growth of Ir-seed and Ir films, and the mechanism of oxygen is proposed. For the growth of Ir films by magnetron sputtering, the growth rate and the energy of argon ions increased with the increase of RF power, while the epitaxial quality is the opposite. The kinetic theory and simulation results demonstrate that this trend is mainly caused by the increase in the number of particles reaching the substrate without significantly increasing the distribution of high-energy particles. Finally, high-quality Ir (100) films on the YSZ (100) with a fresh surface are prepared. It is shown that increasing the epitaxy quality of the YSZ (100) film and the growth temperature of the Ir film can improve the quality of Ir film. Based on our results, the growth of Ir films on YSZ films with fresh surfaces resulting from in-situ argon plasma cleaning provides a new idea for preparing Ir (100)/YSZ (100) bilayer epitaxial film.

Abstract Transketolase (TKT) which is an important metabolic enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) participates in maintaining ribose 5-phosphate levels. TKT is necessary for maintaining cell growth. However, we found that in addition to this, TKT can also affect tumor progression through other ways. Our previous study indicate that TKT could promote the development of liver cancer by affecting bile acid metabolism. And in this study, we discovered that TKT expression was remarkably upregulated in colorectal cancer, abnormal high expression of TKT is associated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer. Additionally, TKT promoted colorectal cancer cell growth and metastasis. Further study demonstrated that TKT interacted with GRP78 and promoted colorectal cancer cell glycolysis through increasing AKT phosphorylation, thereby enhancing colorectal cancer cell metastasis. Thus, TKT is expected to become an indicator for judging the prognosis of colorectal cancer, and provide a theoretical basis for drug development of new treatment targets for colorectal cancer.

IntroductionIn frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles, hormone replacement treatment (HRT) was associated with a higher risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) compared with natural cycles (NC). Multiple pregnancy was a risk factor for HDP and several studies did not conduct subgroup analysis of singleton pregnancy and multiple pregnancy.ObjectiveTo investigate whether HRT regimen could be a risk factor for HDP in women undergoing FET cycles in singleton and twin pregnancies.MethodsA retrospective cohort study at a tertiary hospital, including a total of 9120 women who underwent FET and achieved ongoing pregnancy; 7590 patients underwent HRT-FET and 1530 NC-FET. The main outcome was HDP. HDP were analyzed for singleton and twin pregnancies, respectively.ResultsIn the singleton pregnancy, the risk of HDP in the HRT-FET group was significantly higher than that in the NC-FET group (6.21% vs. 4.09%; P=0.003). After adjusting for female age oocyte pick up, female age at FET and body mass index (BMI), HRT was found as a risk factor for HDP (adjusted odds ration [aOR]: 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07 to 1.91; P=0.017). In the multiple pregnancy, the risk of HDP in the HRT-FET and NC-FET groups was similar.ConclusionHRT was associated with a higher risk of HDP in women who underwent FET and achieved singleton pregnancy.

Abstract Background Previous studies have suggested that maternal stress could increase the risk of some adverse pregnancy outcomes, but evidence on congenital heart disease (CHD) is limited. We aimed to explore the association between maternal exposure to life events during pregnancy and CHD in offspring. Methods The data was based on an unmatched case-control study about CHD conducted in Shaanxi province of China from 2014 to 2016. We included 2280 subjects, 699 in the case group and 1581 in the control group. The cases were infants or fetuses diagnosed with CHD, and the controls were infants without any birth defects. The life events were assessed by the Life Events Scale for Pregnant Women, and were divided into positive and negative events for synchronous analysis. A directed acyclic graph was drawn to screen the confounders. Logistic regression was employed to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for the effects of life events on CHD. Results After controlling for the potential confounders, the pregnant women experiencing the positive events during pregnancy had lower risk of CHD in offspring than those without positive events (OR = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.30 ~ 0.48). The risk of CHD in offspring could increase by 62% among the pregnant women experiencing the negative events compared to those without (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.29 ~ 2.03). Both effects showed a certain dose-response association. Besides, the positive events could weaken the risk impact of negative events on CHD. Conclusion It may suggest that maternal exposure to negative life events could increase the risk of CHD in offspring, while experiencing positive events could play a potential protective role.

Introduction Natural cycle (NC) and hormone replacement treatment (HT) are frequently used endometrial preparation protocols prior to frozen-thawed embryo transfer in ovulatory women. It is not clear which protocol results in a higher live birth rate. It has been suggested that there is an increased risk in maternal and perinatal morbidity following HT protocol due to the lack of corpus luteum. The objective of this trial is to compare the clinical outcomes of NC and HT protocols in frozen embryo transfer.Methods and analysis COMPETE is an open-label, single-centre, randomised controlled trial targeting to recruit 888 women, with 444 women each in two arms (1:1 treatment ratio). Women undergoing in vitro fertilisation scheduled for a frozen embryo transfer and have a regular menstrual cycle are eligible. Exclusion criteria include ovulation disorders and intrauterine adhesions. The primary outcome is live birth resulting from the first frozen embryo transfer after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy, miscarriage, endometrial thickness, cycle cancellation, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, antepartum haemorrhage, preterm birth, birth weight, large for gestational age, congenital anomaly and perinatal mortality. The data analysis will be following the intention-to-treat principle.Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Northwest women’s and children’s hospital (2020008). Written informed consent will be obtained from each participant before randomisation. The results of the trial will be presented via publications.Trial registration number ChiCTR2000040640.

Abstract Background For most women who have had a previous cesarean section, vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) is a reasonable and safe choice, but which will increase the risk of adverse outcomes such as uterine rupture. In order to reduce the risk, we evaluated the factors that may affect VBAC and and established a model for predicting the success rate of trial of the labor after cesarean section (TOLAC). Methods All patients who gave birth at Northwest Women’s and Children’s Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018, had a history of cesarean section and voluntarily chose the TOLAC were recruited. Among them, 80% of the population was randomly assigned to the training set, while the remaining 20% were assigned to the external validation set. In the training set, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify indicators related to successful TOLAC. A nomogram was constructed based on the results of multiple logistic regression analysis, and the selected variables included in the nomogram were used to predict the probability of successfully obtaining TOLAC. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to judge the predictive ability of the model. Results A total of 778 pregnant women were included in this study. Among them, 595 (76.48%) successfully underwent TOLAC, whereas 183 (23.52%) failed and switched to cesarean section. In multi-factor logistic regression, parity = 1, pre-pregnancy BMI

Ni–W heterogeneous seed was used to prepare the Ni-based single crystal superalloys and the microstructure at remelting interface under different conditions was analyzed. The results showed that there were lots of fine cellular grains with the basically consistent orientations and compositions at the remelting interface under high rate solidification condition. However, these grains disappeared under the liquid metal cooling condition, indicating that the formation of fine cellular grains might be controlled by constitutional undercooling related with the temperature gradient in front of the remelting interface. Therefore, a relationship between constitutional undercooling and temperature gradient was calculated to clarify the solidification mechanism of fine cellular grains. It was found that the high rate solidification method with a smaller temperature gradient could produce an enough constitutional undercooling at the front of remelting interface to form fine cellular grains, and then they competed with each other to adjust the dendrite spacing, finally obtained the single crystal microstructure with uniform dendrite spacing, while that microstructure could only be obtained through the flat-cell-branch transformation under the LMC condition.

ObjectivePredictive models of the cumulative live birth (CLB) in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment are limited. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a nomogram for the CLB in women undergoing the first IVF cycle.MethodsBased on a cross-sectional study in assisted reproduction center of Northwest Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 26,689 Chinese patients who underwent IVF treatment was used to develop and validate a prediction model for the CLB. Among those participants, 70% were randomly assigned to the training set (18,601 patients), while the remaining 30% were assigned to the validation set (8,088 patients). A nomogram was constructed based on the results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The model performance was evaluated using the C statistic and the calibration performance was assessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) χ2 statistics and calibration plots.ResultsMultivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that female age, female body mass index (BMI), tubal factor infertility, male infertility, uterine factor infertility, unexplained infertility, antral follicle count (AFC) and basal serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were significant factors for CLB in women undergoing the first IVF cycle. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in the prediction model was 0.676 (95% CI 0.668 to 0.684) in the training group. The validation set showed possibly helpful discrimination with an AUC of 0.672 (95% CI 0.660 to 0.684). Additionally, the prediction model had a good calibration (HL χ2 = 8.240, P=0.410).ConclusionsWe developed and validated a nomogram to predict CLB in women undergoing the first IVF cycle using a single center database in China. The validated nomogram to predict CLB could be a potential tool for IVF counselling.

The solidification characteristics and as-cast microstructures of a Ru-containing nickel-based single crystal superalloy were systematically investigated through thermal analysis, Thermo-Calc simulation, the planar interface solidification experiment, and the directional solidification quenching experiment. The main solidification transition temperature, segregation behavior, and solidification path were analyzed, and the microstructure evolution and phase formation mechanism were also discussed. The solidification began with the formation of primary γ dendrites (L → γ). Then Ni, Al, Ta, and Ru were enriched in the residual liquid, resulting in the precipitation of β-NiAl phase (L → β-NiAl). As the β-NiAl phase grew, the content of Ta gradually increased while the content of Al gradually decreased. Thus, the peritectic γ′ phases were precipitated on the surface of β-NiAl phase and coarsened by the incomplete peritectic reaction (L + β-NiAl → peritectic γ′ + β-NiAlResidual). The Al content further decreased and the Ta content further increased with the precipitation of the peritectic γ′ phase, leading to the formation of γ/γ′ eutectics on the surface of the γ dendrites or directly from liquid (L → γ/γ′ eutectic). Since the precipitation of β-NiAl phase and the subsequent incomplete peritectic reaction, Cr, Co, Mo, W, and Re were rejected into the residual liquid in the vicinity of β-NiAl phase, providing conditions for the nucleation of the TCP(R) phases (L → R). The wide freezing range of the alloy might be the cause of the severe micro-segregation and the precipitation of some secondary phases in the interdendritic regions.

Currently, more and more studies suggested that reductionism was lack of holistic and integrative view of biological processes, leading to limited understanding of complex systems like microbiota and the associated diseases. In fact, microbes are rarely present in individuals but normally live in complex multispecies communities. With the recent development of a variety of metaomics techniques, microbes could be dissected dynamically in both temporal and spatial scales. Therefore, in-depth understanding of human microbiome from different aspects such as genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes could provide novel insights into their functional roles, which also holds the potential in making them diagnostic biomarkers in many human diseases, though there is still a huge gap to fill for the purpose. In this mini-review, we went through the frontlines of the metaomics techniques and explored their potential applications in clinical diagnoses of human diseases, e.g., infectious diseases, through which we concluded that novel diagnostic methods based on human microbiomes shall be achieved in the near future, while the limitations of these techniques such as standard procedures and computational challenges for rapid and accurate analysis of metaomics data in clinical settings were also examined.

Abstract Objective To explore the relationship between parity and macrosomia and provide the necessary reference for the maternal and children health service. Method A cross-sectional epidemiological survey with the purpose to assess the birth outcomes was conducted in Shaanxi province, China. Results The incidence of macrosomia in multiparas was higher than that in primiparas. Univariate analysis showed that maternal age

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and miscarriages in women who required assisted reproductive technology (ART) for conception.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted using a 10-year (2006–2015) sample of 14,994 pregnancy cycles with ART treatment in Northwest Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Xi’an, China. The effects of women’s BMI before pregnancy on early miscarriage and miscarriage were assessed using generalized estimating equation models.ResultsThe risks of early miscarriage and miscarriage were higher in the obese group than in the normal weight group [early miscarriage: relative risk (RR) = 1.36, confidence interval (CI): 1.12–1.65; miscarriage: RR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.17–1.68]. Pre-pregnancy underweight was not associated with an increased risk of early miscarriage or miscarriage. We observed interactions between pre-pregnancy BMI and singleton or twin pregnancy in early miscarriage and miscarriage (P = 0.017 and P = 0.003, respectively). Twin pregnancy increased the effects of pre-pregnancy BMI on early miscarriage and miscarriage (early miscarriage: a. singleton pregnancy: RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04; b. twin pregnancy: RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.13; miscarriage: a. singleton pregnancy: RR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04; b. twin pregnancy: RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05–1.13).ConclusionsPre-pregnancy obesity was associated with higher risks of early miscarriage and miscarriage in the ART population, and twin pregnancy increased the effects of pre-pregnancy BMI on early miscarriage and miscarriage. Women should maintain a normal BMI before ART initiation to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the mental health of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment during the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak in Xi'an, China.Methods: A repeated cross-sectional study was administered to women undergoing ART treatment during the outbreak period (599 women in February 2020) and the control period (892 women in May 2020) at the Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China.Results: Both the ART-treated women surveyed during the outbreak period and those surveyed during the control period had high scores on the fear dimension (0.88, 0.51). The total scores for mental health among the participants during the control period were lower than those during the outbreak period (difference = −0.22; 95% CI = −0.25, −0.18). Lower scores were also seen during the control period, compared to those in the outbreak period, for depression (difference = −0.18; 95% CI = −0.23, −0.13), neurasthenia (difference = −0.31; 95% CI = −0.36, −0.25), fear (difference = −0.37; 95% CI = −0.43, −0.31), compulsion anxiety (difference = −0.13; 95% CI = −0.16, −0.09), and hypochondriasis (difference = −0.09; 95% CI = −0.12, −0.06).Conclusions: During the COVID-19 global pandemic, the mental health of women undergoing ART treatment in Xi'an, China, was primarily manifested as fear. As the pandemic was brought under control, the mental health of ART-treated women improved. As evidenced by these results, the COVID-19 pandemic influences the mental health of women undergoing ART treatment, and clinicians should be aware of this for similar future situations.

Objective: To demonstrate the association between pre-pregnancy maternal overweight, obesity, and perinatal outcomes of singletons conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART).Design: Retrospective cohort study from 2006 to 2015 data from a single ART center.Setting: Assisted Reproduction Center, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Northwestern China.Patients: We included 7,818 women undergoing ART and their singleton infants.Interventions: None.Main Outcome Measure: The primary outcome measures were preterm birth (PTB), macrosomia, low birth weight, small for gestational age, and large for gestational age (LGA).Results: We experienced an increase in the risk of PTB, macrosomia, and LGA in overweight and obese groups compared with that in normal-weight groups [PTB: overweight vs. normal weight: odds ratio [OR] = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.18–1.75; obesity vs. normal weight: OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.04–2.25; macrosomia: overweight vs. normal weight: OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.48–2.14; obesity vs. normal weight: OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.52–3.06; LGA: overweight vs. normal weight: OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.39–1.90; obesity vs. normal weight: OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.57–2.83]. We observed a significant interaction between maternal BMI and fresh/frozen embryo transfer on PTB and LGA (P = 0.030; P = 0.030). Fresh embryo transfer significantly increased the effect of maternal BMI on LGA (fresh: OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.10–1.18; frozen: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.13), and frozen embryo transfer increased the effect of maternal BMI on PTB (fresh: OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.99–1.08; frozen: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.15).Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy maternal overweight and obesity were associated with higher risks of PTB, macrosomia, and LGA in ART-conceived singletons. These associations were affected by the timing of embryo transfer (fresh/frozen embryo transfer). Therefore, we recommend women before ART to maintain a normal BMI for the prevention of adverse perinatal outcomes.

In this paper, a wideband microwave delay system with an equivalent 440-km fiber link is presented. The fiber link propagation delay fluctuation, suffering from temperature variation, is detected incorporating with a reference RF signal. With the help of a variable optical delay line, the wideband microwave frequency output is phase-stabilized. A system figure of merit is investigated in detail. The results show that, with dispersion compensation, the fiber-optic delay system can operate for the frequencies up to 38 GHz. Moreover, the fiber-optic system can provide a noise figure of below 40 dB, a signal-to-noise ratio of above 51 dB and a spur level of less than -56 dB for the delayed wideband microwave frequency signal. An additive phase noise of -116 dBc/Hz at the 10 kHz offset frequency can be guaranteed for a 1 GHz frequency. With active delay stabilization, the 38 GHz frequency delayed achieves an Allan deviation of 5.8 × 10-13 /s and 5.4 × 10-16 /103s, respectively.

Objectives To report the situation of maternal micronutrient supplementation before and during pregnancy in Northwest China and to examine the rates of and factors related to the adherence to micronutrient supplementation among pregnant women in this region, where dietary micronutrient intake is commonly insufficient.Design A large-scale population-based cross-sectional survey.Setting Twenty counties and ten districts of Shaanxi Province.Participants A sample of 30 027 women were selected using a stratified multistage random sampling method. A total of 28 678 women were chosen for the final analysis after excluding those who did not provide clear information about nutritional supplementation before and during pregnancy.Main outcome measures Maternal adherence to micronutrient supplementation (high and low) were the outcomes. They were determined by the start time and duration of use according to Chinese guidelines (for folic acid (FA) supplements) and WHO recommendations (for iron, calcium and multiple-micronutrient (MMN) supplements).Results In total, 83.9% of women took at least one kind of micronutrient supplement before or during pregnancy. FA (67.6%) and calcium (57.5%) were the primarily used micronutrient supplements; few participants used MMN (14.0%) or iron (5.4%). Adherence to supplementation of all micronutrients was low (7.4% for FA, 0.6% for iron, 11.7% for calcium and 2.7% for MMN). Higher educational levels, higher income levels, urban residence and better antenatal care (including pregnancy consultation and a higher frequency of antenatal visits) were associated with high adherence to micronutrient supplementation.Conclusion Maternal micronutrient supplementation before and during pregnancy in Northwest China was way below standards recommended by the Chinese guidelines or WHO. Targeted health education and future nutritional guidelines are suggested to improve this situation, especially in pregnant women with disadvantaged sociodemographic conditions.

Prenatal health care interventions are effective ways to improve maternal and neonatal health. There have been few large investigations conducted on the inequalities in maternal health services utilization in Shaanxi Province of west China since the health care reform in 2009. This study examined the inequalities and determinants of maternal health services utilization in Shaanxi Province. A household survey was conducted from August to November in 2013. By using a multistage sampling method, local women aged 15-49 who had given birth in the preceding three years were recruited. Information including social-demographic characteristics and maternal health services utilization was collected through a face-to-face interview. A concentration index approach was used to measure inequalities in maternal health services utilization. A logistic regression model was employed to investigate the determinants of maternal health services utilization. There were 8,488 women from urban areas and 18,724 women from rural areas enrolled in this study. The concentration index for all the indicators of maternal health services utilization showed significance in these two areas. In urban areas, the concentration index of having 5 or more prenatal visits, receiving the first prenatal visit within 12 weeks, delivering at secondary- or higher-level health facilities and delivering by C-section were 0.0356, 0.0166, 0.0177 and 0.0591, respectively, while in rural areas, the corresponding figures were 0.0385, 0.0183, 0.0334 and 0.0566, respectively. The determinants related to maternal health services utilization were women's age at delivery, educational level, employment status, parity, health problems during pregnancy and household income. Inequalities in maternal health services utilization still exist in Shaanxi Province. Providing maternal health services for younger, less educated, unemployed, high parity and poorer women, especially in rural areas, is expected to reduce the inequalities in maternal health services utilization.

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the quality of feeding practices and children's nutritional status in rural western China.A sample of 12,146 pairs of 6- to 35-month-old children and their mothers were recruited using stratified multistage cluster random sampling in rural western China. Quantile regression was used to analyze the relationship between the Infant and Child Feeding Index (ICFI) and children's nutritional status.In rural western China, 24.37% of all infants and young children suffer from malnutrition. Of this total, 19.57%, 8.74% and 4.63% of infants and children are classified as stunting, underweight and wasting, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, the quantile regression results suggested that qualified ICFI (ICFI > 13.8) was associated with all length and HAZ quantiles (P

To explore the association between birth season and physical development and provide a necessary reference value to inform the implementation of public health services.Cross-sectional study.Forty-five counties in ten provinces in western China in 2005.A sample of 13,387 children under 3 years old and their mothers were recruited using a stratified, multistage, cluster random sampling method.The results of the circular distribution analysis suggested that stunting and underweight exhibited time aggregation (Z = 32.57, P0.05). The generalized linear mixed models showed that children born in the summer were less likely to exhibit stunting (OR: 0.74~0.97) than were children born in the winter after adjusting for confounders, but no significant differences were identified for the other seasons. In addition, among children aged 25 to 36 months, those born in the summer and autumn were less likely to exhibit stunting after adjusting for confounders than were children born in the winter, but the association between birth in spring and stunting was not statistically significant.Stunting was associated with season of birth among children under 3 years old in low-income counties in western China, especially children aged 25 to 36 months, and children born in the summer and autumn were less likely to exhibit stunting than were children born in the winter.

There are still inconsistent conclusions about the association of prenatal alcohol drinking with congenital heart defects (CHDs). We conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the association between prenatal alcohol exposure and the risk of overall CHDs and the CHDs subtypes.Case-control and cohort studies published before March 2015 were searched through PubMed and Embase. Two authors independently extracted data and scored the study quality according to the Newcastle-0ttawa Scale. The pooled ORs and 95%CI were estimated using the random-effects model and heterogeneity was assessed by the Q test and I2 statistic.A total of 20 studies were finally included. The results provided no evidence of the association between prenatal alcohol exposure and the risk of overall CHDs (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.93-1.22), ventricular septal defects (VSDs) (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.86-1.25), or atrial septal defects (ASDs) (OR = 1.40, 95%CI = 0.88-2.23). However, prenatal alcohol drinking was marginally significantly associated with conotruncal defects (CTDs) (OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 0.97-1.59) and statistically significantly associated with d-Transposition of the Great Arteries (dTGA) (OR = 1.64, 95%CI = 1.17-2.30). Moreover, both prenatal heavy drinking and binge drinking have a strong association with overall CHDs (heavy drinking: OR = 3.76, 95%CI = 1.00-14.10; binge drinking: OR = 2.49, 95%CI = 1.04-5.97), and prenatal moderate drinking has a modest association with CTDs (OR = 1.35, 95%CI = 1.05-1.75) and dTGA (OR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.09-3.20).In conclusion, the results suggested that prenatal alcohol exposure was not associated with overall CHDs or some subtypes, whereas marginally significant association was found for CTDs and statistically significant association was found for dTGA. Further prospective studies with large population and better designs are needed to explore the association of prenatal alcohol exposure with CHDs including the subtypes in specific groups.