A parent-rating scale of postpartum depression: Maternity-monitoring scale by parents (MMSP).

Postpartum depression (PPD) is an illness that is difficult for the affected women themselves to recognize. Moreover, many mothers believe that mothers should not complain about the mental difficulties of taking care of their children. Therefore, in addition to self-evaluation for PPD, evaluation from others is also necessary. We aimed to develop a novel measure to screen for PPD based on a parent-rating scale that is administered to the parents of postpartum mothers. The 15-item maternity-monitoring scale by parents (MMSP) was designed and applied to the feasibility cohort (n = 61) and the emergency cohort (n = 55). The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (threshold score of 8/9) was used to evaluate a high risk of PPD. An egogram-based index, the over-adaptation index for depression (OAID), was performed along with the EPDS and MMSP. In the feasibility cohort, MMSP was moderately correlated with EPDS. In the emergency cohort, under the circumstance of the state of emergency declaration over the coronavirus disease 2019 in Japan, application of the MMSP was delayed, resulting in the proportion of parents who overlooked PPD symptoms in their daughters increasing from 33 % to 50 %. Our findings suggest that a novel approach of parent-rated PDD screening of postpartum women is potentially possible, and the MMSP is a potential candidate for screening. Moreover, the OAID is also helpful in identifying women with hidden PPD, along with the EPDS. The performance of the MMSP should be confirmed in the parents of patients with PPD diagnosed by psychiatrists.

Multiomics and artificial intelligence enabled peripheral blood-based prediction of amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Since dementia is preventable with early interventions, biomarkers that assist in diagnosing early stages of dementia, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), are urgently needed. METHODS: Multiomics analysis of amnestic MCI (aMCI) peripheral blood (n = 25) was performed covering the transcriptome, microRNA, proteome, and metabolome. Validation analysis for microRNAs was conducted in an independent cohort (n = 12). Artificial intelligence was used to identify the most important features for predicting aMCI. FINDINGS: We found that hsa-miR-4455 is the best biomarker in all omics analyses. The diagnostic index taking a ratio of hsa-miR-4455 to hsa-let-7b-3p predicted aMCI patients against healthy subjects with 97% overall accuracy. An integrated review of multiomics data suggested that a subset of T cells and the GCN (general control nonderepressible) pathway are associated with aMCI. INTERPRETATION: The multiomics approach has enabled aMCI biomarkers with high specificity and illuminated the accompanying changes in peripheral blood. Future large-scale studies are necessary to validate candidate biomarkers for clinical use.

Infrared Plasmonic Metamaterials Based on Transparent Nanoparticle Films of In2O3:Sn for Solar-Thermal Shielding Applications.

Three-dimensional nanoparticle (NP) assemblies show interesting optical responses that differ from naturally occurring materials, such as metals, oxides, and semiconductors. In this study, we investigate the optical response of thin films comprising Sn:In2O3 NPs (ITO NP films) based on the correlation between complex permittivity and infrared (IR) reflectance for solar-thermal shielding applications. IR ellipsometry measurements are conducted to clarify the presence of Lorentz resonances in plasmonic metamaterials. The Lorentz resonances are correlated to the electric field strength at interparticle gaps by varying the Sn dopant concentration, as confirmed using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. High solar-thermal shielding performance was obtained owing to selective near-IR reflection based on strong Lorentz resonances as the ITO NP films were electrically polarizable but magnetically inactive. Thermal shielding efficiency was demonstrated via a comparison of the air temperature change in a simulated box used as a model house. Additionally, we demonstrate the significance of NP packing density on the enhancement of the near-IR reflectance. The role of interparticle spacing for high near-IR reflectance was revealed by comparing effective medium approximation analyses and FDTD simulations. This relationship was also demonstrated by the reduction of solar-thermal shielding performance when using aggregated ITO NPs. Our work confirmed that the control of complex permittivity in plasmonic metamaterials must be considered in the structural design of transparent and reflective materials for solar-thermal shielding applications.

Preparation of Ordered Mesoporous Au using Double Gyroid Mesoporous Silica KIT-6 via a Seed-Mediated Growth Process.

Ordered mesoporous Au was prepared using double gyroid (cubic Ia-3d) mesoporous silica KIT-6 as a template. The Au frameworks were formed within the template via a seed-mediated growth process. Au nanoparticles were initially prepared as seeds within the mesopores, and subsequently, they were grown under mild and controlled reducing conditions. The transmission electron micrographs and scanning electron micrographs of mesoporous Au after the removal of the template revealed the formation of mesoporous Au replicas. The small-angle X-ray scattering pattern of mesoporous Au reveals that the obtained mesoporous Au has a cubic I41 32 mesostructure, which is different from that of the original template, implying that Au was deposited within only one mesochannel of the two interconnected ones. The seed-mediated growth process is a key factor in the successful formation of ordered mesoporous Au using a mesoporous silica template. Our preparative method can serve as a guide for further development of synthetic and materials chemistry of mesoporous Au.