Brain white matter alterations in young adult male patients with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to detect white matter changes and different effects of thyroid hormone on the white matter integrity in young adult male patients with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency (CO-GHD), compared with healthy people. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging (structural imaging and diffusion tensor imaging) was performed in 17 young adult male patients with CO-GHD and 17 healthy male controls. The white matter volume, mean diffusivity (MD) values and fractional anisotropy (FA) values were quantified and compared between two groups (CO-GHD group vs. control group). We assessed the interaction effects between thyroid hormone and groups (CO-GHD group vs. control group) on white matter integrity. RESULTS: Patients with CO-GHD exhibited similar white matter volumes compared with controls. However, compared with the controls, patients with CO-GHD showed a significant reduction in FA values in six clusters and a substantial increase in MD values in four clusters, mainly involving the corticospinal tracts, corpus callosum and so on. Moreover, after correcting for insulin-like growth factor-1 levels, the significant interaction effects between groups (CO-GHD group vs. control group) and serum free thyroxine levels on MD values were noted in three clusters, mainly involving in superior longitudinal fasciculus and sagittal stratum. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, young males with CO-GHD showed white matter changes in multiple brain regions and different effects of thyroid hormone on the white matter integrity.

Highly Stretchable, Knittable, Wearable Fiberform Hydrovoltaic Generators Driven by Water Transpiration for Portable Self-Power Supply and Self-Powered Strain Sensor.

The development of excellently stretchable, highly mobile, and sustainable power supplies is of great importance for self-power wearable electronics. Transpiration-driven hydrovoltaic power generator (HPG) has been demonstrated to be a promising energy harvesting strategy with the advantages of negative heat and zero-carbon emissions. Herein, this work demonstrates a fiber-based stretchable HPG with the advantages of high output, portability, knittability, and sustainable power generation. Based on the functionalized micro-nano water diffusion channels constructed by the discarded mask straps (MSs) and oxidation-treated carbon nanomaterials, the applied water can continuously produce electricity during the spontaneous flow and diffusion. Experimentally, when a tiny 0.1 mL of water encounters one end of the proposed HPG, the centimeter-length device can yield a peak voltage of 0.43 V, peak current of 29.5 µA, and energy density of 5.833 mW h cm-3. By efficiently integrating multiple power generation units, sufficient output power can be provided to drive commercial electronic devices even in the stretched state. Furthermore, due to the reversibility of the electrical output during dynamic stretching-releasing, it can passively convert physiological activities and motion behaviors into quantifiable and processable current signals, opening up HPG's application in the field of self-powered wearable sensing.

Highly sensitive piezoresistive and thermally responsive fibrous networks from the in situ growth of PEDOT on MWCNT-decorated electrospun PU fibers for pressure and temperature sensing.

Flexible electronics have demonstrated various strategies to enhance the sensory ability for tactile perception and wearable physiological monitoring. Fibrous microstructures have attracted much interest because of their excellent mechanical properties and fabricability. Herein, a structurally robust fibrous mat was first fabricated by electrospinning, followed by a sequential process of functionalization utilizing ultrasonication treatment and in situ polymerization growth. Electrospun polyurethane (PU) microfibers were anchored with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to form conductive paths along each fiber by a scalable ultrasonic cavitation treatment in an MWCNT suspension. After, a layer of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was grown on the surface of PU fibers decorated with MWCNTs to enhance the conductive conjunctions of MWCNTs. Due to the superior electromechanical behaviors and mechanical reinforcement of PEDOT, the PEDOT/MWCNT@PU mat-based device exhibits a wide working range (0-70 kPa), high sensitivity (1.6 kPa-1), and good mechanical robustness (over 18,000 cycles). The PEDOT/MWCNT@PU mat-based sensor also demonstrates a good linear response to different temperature variations because of the thermoelectricity of the PEDOT/MWCNT composite. This novel strategy for the fabrication of multifunctional fibrous mats provides a promising opportunity for future applications for high-performance wearable devices.

Lot-to-Lot Variance in Immunoassays-Causes, Consequences, and Solutions.

Immunoassays, which have gained popularity in clinical practice and modern biomedical research, play an increasingly important role in quantifying various analytes in biological samples. Despite their high sensitivity and specificity, as well as their ability to analyze multiple samples in a single run, immunoassays are plagued by the problem of lot-to-lot variance (LTLV). LTLV negatively affects assay accuracy, precision, and specificity, leading to considerable uncertainty in reported results. Therefore, maintaining consistency in technical performance over time presents a challenge in reproducing immunoassays. In this article, we share our two-decade-long experience and delve into the reasons for and locations of LTLV, as well as explore methods to mitigate its effects. Our investigation identifies potential contributing factors, including quality fluctuation in critical raw materials and deviations in manufacturing processes. These findings offer valuable insights to developers and researchers working with immunoassays, emphasizing the importance of considering lot-to-lot variance in assay development and application.

Insertion/Deletion (InDel) Variants within the Sheep Fat-Deposition-Related PDGFD Gene Strongly Affect Morphological Traits.

Platelet-derived growth factor D (PDGFD) is a member of the PDGF gene family, and it plays an important role in the regulation of adipocyte development in mammals. Furthermore, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have previously identified it as a candidate gene associated with fleece fiber variation, body size, and the fat-tail phenotype in domestic Chinese sheep. In this study, a total of 1919 indigenous Chinese sheep were genotyped to examine the association between nucleotide sequence variations in PDGFD and body morphology. Our results detected both a 14 bp insertion in intron 2 and a 13 bp deletion in intron 4 of PDGFD. Moreover, these two InDel loci had low to moderate polymorphism. Notably, the 13 bp deletion mutation of PDGFD was found to significantly affect sheep body size. Yearling rams in the Luxi black-headed sheep (LXBH) containing a heterozygous genotype (insertion/deletion, ID) were found to have larger body length, chest depth, and body weight than those with wild genotypes. Furthermore, adult ewes in the Guiqian semi-fine wool sheep (GSFW) containing a homozygous mutation (deletion/deletion, DD) were found to have smaller chest width than their peers. Moreover, yearling ewes in this group with the same homozygous mutation were found to have lower body weight, chest width, and cannon circumference compared to those of other individuals. This study demonstrates that PDGFD InDel polymorphisms have the potential to be effective molecular markers to improve morphological traits in domestic Chinese sheep.

The ovine HIAT1 gene: mRNA expression, InDel mutations, and growth trait associations.

Background: The hippocampal abundant transcript 1 (HIAT1) gene, also known as major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 14A (MFSD14A), encodes for a transmembrane transporter protein and has been previously shown to be associated with milk production in buffalo and sheep breeds, as well as growth traits in chicken and goats. However, tissue level distribution of the ovine HIAT1 gene, as well as its effect on body morphometric traits in sheep, has yet to be studied. Methods: The HIAT1 mRNA expression profile of Lanzhou fat-tailed (LFT) sheep was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). A total of 1498 sheep of three indigenous Chinese sheep breeds were PCR-genotyped for polymorphisms of HIAT1 gene. Student's t-test was used to observe the association between the genotype and sheep morphometric traits. Results: HIAT1 was widely expressed in all examined tissues, and was particularly abundant in the testis of male LFT sheep. Additionally, a 9-bp insertion mutation (rs1089950828) located within the 5'-upstream region of HIAT1 was investigated in Luxi black-headed (LXBH) sheep and Guiqian semi-fine wool (GSFW) sheep. The wildtype allele frequency 'D' was found to be more prevalent than that of the mutant allele 'I'. Furthermore, low genetic diversity was confirmed in all sampled sheep populations. Subsequent association analyses indicated an association between the 9-bp InDel mutation of interest and the morphometric traits of LXBH and GSFW sheep. Furthermore, yearling ewes with a heterozygous genotype (ID) demonstrated smaller body sizes, while yearling rams and adult ewes with the heterozygous genotype were found to have overall better growth performance. Conclusion: These findings imply that functional InDel polymorphism (rs1089950828) has the potential to be utilized for marker-assisted selection (MAS) of growth traits in domestic Chinese sheep populations.

New insight into copy number variations of goat SMAD2 gene and their associations with litter size and semen quality.

Copy number variations (CNV) contribute significantly to genetic variations. Numerous studies have shown that CNV affects phenotypic traits in livestock. The SMAD family member 2 (SMAD2) is a leading candidate gene in reproduction and has a crucial effect on litter size. Additionally, SMAD2 is also required for male reproduction and influences male germ cell development. However, there are no reports on investigating the effect of CNVs in the SMAD2 gene on reproductive traits in goat. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore associations between CNV of the SMAD2 gene and litter size and semen quality in Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats. In this study, two CNVs within the SMAD2 were identified in 352 SBWC goats (50 males and 302 females). The association analysis revealed that only CNV2 was significantly associated with female goat first-born litter size (P = 3.59 × 10-4), male semen concentration (P < 0.01), ejaculation volume, live sperm count, and sperm deformity rate (P < 0.05). In terms of phenotypic performance, the individuals with loss genotypes outperformed those with other genotypes. CNV1 and CNV2 genotype combinations containing their dominant genotypes were also associated with goat litter size (P = 1.7 × 10-5), but no differences in semen quality were found. In summary, CNV2 of the SMAD2 gene is useful for molecular marker-assisted selection breeding, as it is associated with essential goat reproductive traits.

Determination of Characteristic Volatile Component Fingerprint of Peucedanum Praeruptorum Dunn at Different Harvest Periods Based on HS-GC-IMS.

BACKGROUND: Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn (PPD) is a Chinese herbal medicine with medicinal value. Clinical studies have shown that PPD has protective effects against wind-heat, cough, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Therefore, cultivation of PPD is becoming more common. However, it has been difficult to determine the optimal harvest period for botanical Chinese medicines such as PPD. OBJECTIVES: Odor characteristics are directly related to the chemical components contained in traditional Chinese medicines. In particular, for traditional Chinese medicines such as PPD that are rich in volatile components, higher quality usually means more beneficial volatile components. The purpose of this study was to analyze changes in PPD volatile components across different harvest periods, and provide the basis for the identification of the ideal harvest period to ensure PPD quality. METHODS: We measured the volatile components of PPD at different harvest periods using HS-GC-IMS to characterize its volatile component fingerprint at different harvest periods. RESULTS: We identified 80 volatile components in PPD across five harvest periods, and combined complex heatmap and PCA methods distinguish the characteristics of the different harvest periods, and used ion mobility spectrometry to determine the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which mainly included compounds such as olefins, esters, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones, and determined that the abundance of volatile components reached a peak in December. CONCLUSIONS: The fingerprint determination of characteristic volatile components based on HS-GC-IMS can distinguish PPD in different harvest periods. HIGHLIGHTS: We used HS-GC-IMS to determine the characteristic fingerprint of volatile components from PPD across different harvest periods. This approach differs from past studies, which have determined the optimal harvest time of medicinal materials based on only the content of a single active ingredient.

Are two beneficial mutations (p.Q249R and 90-bp Indel) within the ovine BMPRIB gene associated with growth traits?

Background: The problem of achieving economic efficiency in sheep breeding can be largely solved by increasing sheep productivity. Recently, the BMPRIB gene has been revealed by GWAS as a potential candidate gene for sheep body morphometric traits. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms (p.Q249R SNP and 90-bp deletion) in the BMPRIB gene are associated with sheep growth traits. Methods: PCR-based genotyping was performed on 1,875 sheep, including 1,191 Guiqian semi-fine wool (GQSFW), 560 Luxi Blackhead (LXBH), 55 Lanzhou fat-tailed (LZFT), and 69 Weining (WN) sheep. Genotype-phenotype association was assessed using the independent samples t-test and ANOVA. The significance level was set at αoriginal < 0.05. The threshold p-value for significance was adjusted after correction for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni correction. Results: After the Bonferroni correction, it was found that individuals with FecB+/FecB+ genotypes of the p.Q249R had significantly better growth traits in LXBH ewe lambs, including the body length, chest width, paunch girth, cannon circumference, and hip width (P<0.0005). Meanwhile, associations were observed between 90-bp deletion polymorphism and several growth traits (body length, body height, chest depth, and canon circumference) in GQSFW ewe adults after the Bonferroni correction (P < 0.0002), and individuals with the "DD" genotypes had greater growth traits. Conclusion: Our findings align with the experimental observations from GWAS, which identified the BMPRIB gene as a potential candidate gene for body measurement traits. These findings not only confirm the previous study's results but also expand on them. Therefore, further investigations regarding the impact of BMPRIB polymorphisms on growth traits are necessary in other sheep breeds.

Facile Assembly of Hybrid Micro-Supercapacitors for a Sunlight-Powered Energy Storage System.

Herein, hybrid micro-supercapacitors (MSCs), consisting of positive CoNi layer double hydroxides (LDHs) decorated on carbon nanotubes (CoNi LDHs@CNTs) and negative CNT electrodes, were assembled by facile drop-coated and electrodeposition methods. The as-fabricated MSCs were optimized in view of electrochemical performance, and the CoNi LDHs-2@CNTs//CNT MSC exhibited a favorable performance and was thus chosen to be the candidate for MSC device package. The packaged CoNi LDHs-2@CNTs//CNT MSC demonstrated a large areal capacitance of 11.0 mF·cm-2 at a current density of 0.08 mA·cm-2, a good rate performance (56% areal capacitance retained at a higher current density of 0.4 mA·cm-2), and a favorable cycling stability and reversibility (92% of the original areal capacitance was retained after 5000 cycles). Furthermore, the MSC device recorded an energy density of 1.5 µWh·cm-2 at a power density of 42.5 µW·cm-2 and was successfully applied for the storage of energy supplied by solar cells to operate a red light-emitting diode. All these findings demonstrated the promising practical energy storage application of the as-fabricated hybrid MSC devices in the construction of sunlight-powered energy storage systems.

Short variation of the sheep PDGFD gene is correlated with litter size.

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) family, exert plays a key role in embryonic development, cell proliferation, cell migration, angiogenesis and reproduction. Related studies about GWAS analyses have found that PDGFD significantly affected deposition of tail fat in sheep, but there are no studies on reproduction in animals. In this study, three breed of sheep were used to find insertion/deletion (indel) fragment polymorphism of PDGFD which including Australian white (AUW) sheep (Meat type, n = 932), Guiqian semi-fine wool (GSFW) sheep (wool type, n = 60) and East Friensian milk (EFM) sheep (dairy type, n = 60). Only a 18-bp variation was polymorphic in the study AUW sheep population and the genotypes of different sheep breed are also specific. Moreover, the association analysis indicated that this variant was associated with litter size of AUW sheep in the first parity (p < 0.05). The litter size of II genotype was significantly lower than other genotypes in the first parity (p < 0.05). We also revealed that the PDGFD gene was relatively conservative in eight species, PDGFD mRNA expression in 832 sheep samples implying this gene was related to reproduction traits. Hence, these finding demonstrated the one-cause multipotency of PDGFD gene. Collectively, these results suggest that this indel can be used as an effective marker for sheep breeding.

All electrospun fabrics based piezoelectric tactile sensor.

Tactile sensors have been widely used in the areas of health monitoring and intelligent human-machine interface. Flexible tactile sensors based on nanofiber mats made by electrospinning can meet the requirements of comfortability and breathability for wearing the body very well. Here, we developed a flexible and self-powered tactile sensor that was sandwich assembled by electrospun organic electrodes and a piezoelectric layer. The metal-free organic electrodes of thermal plastic polyurethane (PU) nanofibers decorated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes were fabricated by electrospinning followed by ultrasonication treatment. The electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) mat was utilized as the piezoelectric layer, and it was found that the piezoelectric performance of PVDF-TrFE nanofiber mat added with barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles was enhanced about 187% than that of the pure PVDF-TrFE nanofiber mat. For practical application, the as-prepared piezoelectric tactile sensor exhibited an approximative linear relationship between the external force and the electrical output. Then the array of fabricated sensors was attached to the fingertips of a glove to grab a cup of water for tactile sensing, and the mass of water can be directly estimated according to the outputs of the sensor array. Attributed to the integrated merits of good flexibility, enhanced piezoelectric performance, light weight, and efficient gas permeability, the developed tactile sensor could be widely used as wearable devices for robot execution end or prosthesis for tactile feedback.

Highly heterogeneous epitaxy of flexoelectric BaTiO3-δ membrane on Ge.

The integration of complex oxides with a wide spectrum of functionalities on Si, Ge and flexible substrates is highly demanded for functional devices in information technology. We demonstrate the remote epitaxy of BaTiO3 (BTO) on Ge using a graphene intermediate layer, which forms a prototype of highly heterogeneous epitaxial systems. The Ge surface orientation dictates the outcome of remote epitaxy. Single crystalline epitaxial BTO3-δ films were grown on graphene/Ge (011), whereas graphene/Ge (001) led to textured films. The graphene plays an important role in surface passivation. The remote epitaxial deposition of BTO3-δ follows the Volmer-Weber growth mode, with the strain being partially relaxed at the very beginning of the growth. Such BTO3-δ films can be easily exfoliated and transferred to arbitrary substrates like Si and flexible polyimide. The transferred BTO3-δ films possess enhanced flexoelectric properties with a gauge factor of as high as 1127. These results not only expand the understanding of heteroepitaxy, but also open a pathway for the applications of devices based on complex oxides.

Development and Evaluation of a Machine Learning Prediction Model for Small-for-Gestational-Age Births in Women Exposed to Radiation before Pregnancy.

Exposure to radiation has been associated with increased risk of delivering small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns. There are no tools to predict SGA newborns in pregnant women exposed to radiation before pregnancy. Here, we aimed to develop an array of machine learning (ML) models to predict SGA newborns in women exposed to radiation before pregnancy. Patients' data was obtained from the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project from 2010 to 2012. The data were randomly divided into a training dataset (n = 364) and a testing dataset (n = 91). Eight various ML models were compared for solving the binary classification of SGA prediction, followed by a post hoc explainability based on the SHAP model to identify and interpret the most important features that contribute to the prediction outcome. A total of 455 newborns were included, with the occurrence of 60 SGA births (13.2%). Overall, the model obtained by extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) achieved the highest area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) in the testing set (0.844, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.713-0.974). All models showed satisfied AUCs, except for the logistic regression model (AUC: 0.561, 95% CI: 0.355-0.768). After feature selection by recursive feature elimination (RFE), 15 features were included in the final prediction model using the XGBoost algorithm, with an AUC of 0.821 (95% CI: 0.650-0.993). ML algorithms can generate robust models to predict SGA newborns in pregnant women exposed to radiation before pregnancy, which may thus be used as a prediction tool for SGA newborns in high-risk pregnant women.

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of long-acting PEGylated recombinant human growth hormone (Jintrolong) for patients with growth hormone deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the efficacy, safety and metabolic effects of once-weekly pegylated human growth hormone (PEG-rhGH) with daily rhGH in patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). DESIGN: 48 patients enrolled in this 12-month single-center, open-label, prospective, randomized controlled trial is allocated to PEG-rhGH 0.12 mg/kg/w and 0.20 mg/kg/w treatment. Besides, the control group allocated 23 patients treated with daily rhGH 0.28 mg/kg/w matched with sex, age, and baseline IGF-1 levels. The primary endpoint included height velocity (HV) and IGF-1 increase at the end of treatment. Other parameters associated with growth, metabolism and safety were also monitored. RESULTS: In terms of HV increase, the efficacy of PEG-rhGH dosed at 0.12 mg/kg/w and 0.20 mg/kg/w was comparable to that of daily rhGH dosed at 0.28 mg/kg/w after 3, 6 and 12 treatment (p>0.05). IGF-1 concentration and IGF-1 SDS were both elevated significantly at 3, 6 and 12 months (p=0.000) into normal range following PEG-rhGH treatment. BMI SDS elevated after PEG-rhGH treatment for 3, 6 and 12 months (p=0.000). HbA1c elevated after 3 and 12 months (p=0.009) and METS-IR elevated after 6 months (p=0.019) compared with baseline. The differences of other metabolic indexes (such as blood glucose, blood lipid, etc.) have no statistical significance (p>0.05). No severe adverse event was observed among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy and safety were promising and comparable between once-weekly PEG-rhGH and daily rhGH injection within 12 months. The negative influence on glucose homeostasis needed attention and monitoring.

Alterations in brain structure and function associated with pediatric growth hormone deficiency: A multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging study.

Introduction: Pediatric growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a disease resulting from impaired growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis but the effects of GHD on children's cognitive function, brain structure and brain function were not yet fully illustrated. Methods: Full Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, structural imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were assessed in 11 children with GHD and 10 matched healthy controls. Results: (1) The GHD group showed moderate cognitive impairment, and a positive correlation existed between IGF-1 levels and cognitive indices. (2) Mean diffusivity was significantly increased in both corticospinal tracts in GHD group. (3) There were significant positive correlations between IGF-1 levels and volume metrics of left thalamus, left pallidum and right putamen but a negative correlation between IGF-1 levels and cortical thickness of the occipital lobe. And IGF-1 levels negatively correlated with fractional anisotropy in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and right corticospinal tract. (4) Regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the left hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus was negatively correlated with IGF-1 levels; the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and ReHo in the paracentral lobe, postcentral gyrus and precentral gyrus were also negatively correlated with IGF-1 levels, in which region ALFF fully mediates the effect of IGF-1 on working memory index. Conclusion: Multiple subcortical, cortical structures, and regional neural activities might be influenced by serum IGF-1 levels. Thereinto, ALFF in the paracentral lobe, postcentral gyrus and precentral gyrus fully mediates the effect of IGF-1 on the working memory index.

Maternal Secondhand Smoke Exposure Enhances Macrosomia Risk Among Pregnant Women Exposed to PM2.5: A New Interaction of Two Air Pollutants in a Nationwide Cohort.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is one of the most common outdoor air pollutants, and secondhand smoking (SHS) is an important source of inhalable indoor air pollution. Previous studies were controversial and inconsistent about PM2.5 and SHS air pollutants on neonatal birth weight outcomes, and no studies assessed the potential interactive effects between PM2.5 and SHS on birth weight outcomes. Purpose: To investigate the interaction between gestational PM2.5 and SHS air pollution exposure on the risk of macrosomia among pregnant women and examine the modifying effect of SHS exposure on the association of PM2.5 air pollution and birth weight outcomes during pregnancy. Methods: Research data were derived from the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project (NFPHEP), which lasted 3 years from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2012. At least 240,000 Chinese women from 220 counties were enrolled in this project. PM2.5 exposure concentration was obtained using a hindcast model specific for historical PM2.5 estimation from satellite-retrieved aerosol optic depth. Different interaction models about air pollution exposure on birth weight outcomes were established, according to the adjustment of different confounding factors and different pregnancy stages. The establishment of interaction models was based on multivariable logistic regression, and the main confounding factors were maternal age at delivery and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) of participants. SHS subgroups analysis was conducted to further confirm the results of interaction models. Results: In total, 197,877 participants were included in our study. In the full-adjusted interaction model, maternal exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of macrosomia in whole, the first-, second-, and third trimesters of pregnancy (p < 0.001). The interactive effect was statistically significant between maternal exposure to PM2.5 and SHS on the risk of macrosomia in the whole (interaction p < 0.050) and the first-trimester pregnancy (interaction p < 0.050), not in the second (interaction p > 0.050) or third trimester (interaction p > 0.050) of pregnancy. The higher frequency of SHS exposure prompted the stronger interaction between the two air pollutants in the whole pregnancy and the first-trimester pregnancy. Conclusions: In the whole and first-trimester pregnancy, maternal exposure to SHS during pregnancy enhanced the risk of macrosomia among pregnant women exposed to PM2.5 air pollutants, and the interaction became stronger with the higher frequency of SHS exposure.

Exploration of Genetic Variants within the Goat A-Kinase Anchoring Protein 12 (AKAP12) Gene and Their Effects on Growth Traits.

The A-kinase anchoring protein 12 gene (AKAP12) is a scaffold protein, which can target multiple signal transduction effectors, can promote mitosis and cytokinesis and plays an important role in the regulation of growth and development. In our previous study, P1-7 bp (intron 3) and P2-13 bp (3'UTR) indels within the AKAP12 gene significantly influenced AKAP12 gene expression. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the association between these two genetic variations and growth-related traits in Shaanbei white cashmere goats (SBWC) (n = 1405). Herein, we identified two non-linkage insertions/deletions (indels). Notably, we found that the P1-7 bp indel mutation was related to the height at hip cross (HHC; p < 0.05) and the P2-13 bp indel was associated with body weight, body length, chest depth, chest width, hip width, chest circumference and cannon (bone) circumference in SBWC goats (p < 0.05). Overall, the two indels' mutations of AKAP12 affected growth traits in goats. Compared to the P1-7 bp indel, the P2-13 bp indel is more suitable for the breeding of goat growth traits.

Au-assisted polymerization of conductive poly(N-phenylglycine) as high-performance positive electrodes for asymmetric supercapacitors.

Herein, a novel conductive poly(N-phenylglycine) (PNPG) polymer was successfully prepared, byin situelectrochemical polymerization method (+0.75 VversusAg/AgCl) for 10 min, on flexible stainless-steel plate coated with a thin Au film (Au/SS) to serve as a binder-free pseudocapacitive PNPG/Au/SS electrode for energy storage devices. Compared to the electrode without Au coating, PNPG/Au/SS electrode exhibited better electrochemical performance with larger specific capacitance (495 F g-1at a current density of 2 A g-1), higher rate performance and lower resistance, which are good indications to act as a positive electrode for asymmetric supercapacitor devices. Combined with activated carbon as a negative electrode, an asymmetric supercapacitor device was constructed. It displayed a specific capacitance of 38 F g-1at a current density of 0.5 A g-1and an energy density of 5.3 Wh kg-1at a power density of 250 W kg-1. Experimentally, two asymmetric supercapacitor devices were connected in series to power a home-made windmill continuously for 8 s, revealing the high potential of this novel conductive polymer material for energy storage application.

Randomised trials of proton pump inhibitors for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in patients with asthma: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Asthma often coexists with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) treatment on asthma concomitant with GERD was inconsistent. This study aimed to assess whether PPIs treatment improved morning peak expiratory flow (mPEF) in asthma patients with GERD. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov; hand searching for reference lists; contacted with authors if necessary. STUDY SELECTION: All eligible trials were randomised clinical trials comparing PPIs with placebo in asthma patients accompanying with GERD. RESULTS: Fourteen randomised clinical trials (2182 participants) were included. Overall, PPIs versus placebo did not affect mPEF in patients with asthma having GERD (weighted mean difference 8.68 L/min, 95% CI -2.02 to 19.37, p=0.11). Trial sequential analysis (TSA) further confirmed this finding (TSA adjusted 95% CI -1.03 to 22.25). Subgroups analyses based on the percentage of patients with symptomatic GERD≥95%, treatment duration >12 weeks also found no statistically significant benefit on mPEF. Similarly, analyses of secondary outcomes (evening PEF, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, asthma symptoms score, asthma quality of life score and episodes of asthma exacerbation) did not show significant difference between PPIs and placebo. CONCLUSION: In this meta-analysis, PPIs therapy did not show a statistically significant improvement on mPEF in asthma patients having GERD, neither in subgroup with symptomatic GERD nor in subgroup with treatment duration >12 weeks. This analysis does not support a recommendation for PPIs therapy as empirical treatment in asthma patients with GERD. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020177330.