The predictive value of the cervical consistency index to predict spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic twin pregnancies at the second-trimester ultrasound scan: A prospective cohort study

Novel transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) markers have been proposed to improve spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) prediction. Preliminary results of the cervical consistency index (CCI), uterocervical angle (UCA), and cervical texture (CTx) have been promising in singletons. However, in twin pregnancies, the results have been inconsistent. In this prospective cohort study of asymptomatic twin pregnancies assessed between 18+0-22+0 weeks, we evaluated TVU derived cervical length (CL), CCI, UCA, and the CTx to predict sPTB < 34+0 weeks. All iatrogenic PTB were excluded. In the final cohort of 63 pregnancies, the sPTB rate < 34+0 was 16.3%. The CCI, UCA, and CTx, including the CL was significantly different in the sPTB < 34+0 weeks group. The best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for sPTB < 34+0 weeks was achieved by the CCI 0.82 (95%CI, 0.72-0.93), followed by the UCA with AUC 0.72 (95%CI, 0.57-0.87). A logistic regression model incorporating parity, chorionicity, CCI, and UCA resulted in an AUC of 0.91 with a sensitivity of 55.3% and specificity of 88.1% for predicting sPTB < 34+0. The CCI performed better than other TVU markers to predict sPTB < 34+0 in twin gestations, and the best diagnostic accuracy was achieved by a combination of parity, chorionicity, CCI, and UCA

Tandem Mass Spectrometry Measurement of the Collision Products of Carbamate Anions Derived from CO2 Capture Sorbents: Paving the Way for Accurate Quantitation

The reaction between CO2 and aqueous amines to produce a charged carbamate product plays a crucial role in post-combustion capture chemistry when primary and secondary amines are used. In this paper, we report the low energy negative-ion CID results for several anionic carbamates derived from primary and secondary amines commonly used as post-combustion capture solvents. The study was performed using the modern equivalent of a triple quadrupole instrument equipped with a T-wave collision cell. Deuterium labeling of 2-aminoethanol (1,1,2,2,-d4-2-aminoethanol) and computations at the M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level were used to confirm the identity of the fragmentation products for 2-hydroxyethylcarbamate (derived from 2-aminoethanol), in particular the ions CN−, NCO− and facile neutral losses of CO2 and water; there is precedent for the latter in condensed phase isocyanate chemistry. The fragmentations of 2-hydroxyethylcarbamate were generalized for carbamate anions derived from other capture amines, including ethylenediamine, diethanolamine, and piperazine. We also report unequivocal evidence for the existence of carbamate anions derived from sterically hindered amines (Tris(2-hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and 2-methyl-2-aminopropanol). For the suite of carbamates investigated, diagnostic losses include the decarboxylation product (−CO2, 44 mass units), loss of 46 mass units and the fragments NCO− (m/z 42) and CN− (m/z 26). We also report low energy CID results for the dicarbamate dianion (−O2CNHC2H4NHCO2−) commonly encountered in CO2 capture solution utilizing ethylenediamine. Finally, we demonstrate a promising ion chromatography-MS based procedure for the separation and quantitation of aqueous anionic carbamates, which is based on the reported CID findings. The availability of accurate quantitation methods for ionic CO2 capture products could lead to dynamic operational tuning of CO2 capture-plants and, thus, cost-savings via real-time manipulation of solvent regeneration energies

International Consensus Based Review and Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Version 2020).

Given its non-invasive nature, there is increasing interest in the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) across basic, translational and clinical research. Contemporaneously, tVNS can be achieved by stimulating either the auricular branch or the cervical bundle of the vagus nerve, referred to as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) and transcutaneous cervical VNS, respectively. In order to advance the field in a systematic manner, studies using these technologies need to adequately report sufficient methodological detail to enable comparison of results between studies, replication of studies, as well as enhancing study participant safety. We systematically reviewed the existing tVNS literature to evaluate current reporting practices. Based on this review, and consensus among participating authors, we propose a set of minimal reporting items to guide future tVNS studies. The suggested items address specific technical aspects of the device and stimulation parameters. We also cover general recommendations including inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants, outcome parameters and the detailed reporting of side effects. Furthermore, we review strategies used to identify the optimal stimulation parameters for a given research setting and summarize ongoing developments in animal research with potential implications for the application of tVNS in humans. Finally, we discuss the potential of tVNS in future research as well as the associated challenges across several disciplines in research and clinical practice

Vasovagal tonus index (VVTI) as an indirect assessment of remission status in canine multicentric lymphoma undergoing multi-drug chemotherapy

Vasovagal tonus index (VVTI) is an indirect measure of heart rate variability and may serve as a marker of disease severity. Higher heart rate variability has predicted lower tumour burden and improved survival in humans with various tumour types. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate VVTI as a biomarker of remission status in canine lymphoma. The primary hypothesis was that VVTI would be increased in dogs in remission compared to dogs out of remission. Twenty-seven dogs were prospectively enrolled if they had a diagnosis of intermediate to high-grade lymphoma and underwent multidrug chemotherapy. Serial electrocardiogram data were collected under standard conditions and relationships between VVTI, remission status and other clinical variables were evaluated. VVTI from dogs in remission (partial or complete) did not differ from dogs with fulminant lymphoma (naive or at time of relapse). Dogs in partial remission had higher VVTI than dogs in complete remission (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.021). Higher baseline VVTI was associated with higher subsequent scores (p&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;0.001). VVTI also correlated with anxiety level (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.03). Based on this pilot study, VVTI did not hold any obvious promise as a useful clinical biomarker of remission status. Further investigation may better elucidate the clinical and prognostic utility of VVTI in dogs with lymphoma

Stabilization of Scandium Terephthalate MOFs against Reversible Amorphization and Structural Phase Transition by Guest Uptake at Extreme Pressure

Previous high-pressure experiments have shown that pressure-transmitting fluids composed of small molecules can be forced inside the pores of metal organic framework materials, where they can cause phase transitions and amorphization and can even induce porosity in conventionally nonporous materials. Here we report a combined high-pressure diffraction and computational study of the structural response to methanol uptake at high pressure on a scandium terephthalate MOF (Sc2BDC3, BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) and its nitro-functionalized derivative (Sc2(NO2–BDC)3) and compare it to direct compression behavior in a nonpenetrative hydrostatic fluid, Fluorinert-77. In Fluorinert-77, Sc2BDC3 displays amorphization above 0.1 GPa, reversible upon pressure release, whereas Sc2(NO2–BDC)3 undergoes a phase transition (C2/c to Fdd2) to a denser but topologically identical polymorph. In the presence of methanol, the reversible amorphization of Sc2BDC3 and the displacive phase transition of the nitro-form are completely inhibited (at least up to 3 GPa). Upon uptake of methanol on Sc2BDC3, the methanol molecules are found by diffraction to occupy two sites, with preferential relative filling of one site compared to the other: grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations support these experimental observations, and molecular dynamics simulations reveal the likely orientations of the methanol molecules, which are controlled at least in part by H-bonding interactions between guests. As well as revealing the atomistic origin of the stabilization of these MOFs against nonpenetrative hydrostatic fluids at high pressure, this study demonstrates a novel high-pressure approach to study adsorption within a porous framework as a function of increasing guest content, and so to determine the most energetically favorable adsorption sites

A68 proteins in Alzheimer's disease are composed of several tau isoforms in a phosphorylated state which affects their electrophoretic mobilities.

The tau-immunoreactive A68 polypeptides found in brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease have been studied by Western blotting using (1) antibodies to synthetic peptides corresponding to sequences that span the complete human tau molecule, and (2) antibodies specific for inserts 1 and 2 found towards the N-terminus of some tau isoforms. The three major A68 polypeptides were labelled by all of the antibodies to sequences common to all tau isoforms, but the faster-migrating A68 polypeptides was not labelled by either of the two antibodies specific for inserts 1 and 2. Treatment with alkaline phosphatase of non-solubilized A68 did not change its electrophoretic mobility on SDS/PAGE under the conditions described here. However, A68 that was solubilized before treating it with alkaline phosphatase was found to move faster on SDS/PAGE than untreated A68, to a position similar to that of normal tau. We also confirmed that A68 preparations contain numerous paired helical filaments (PHF). These PHF were labelled by all anti-tau antibodies, including insert-specific antibodies. Our results further support the notion that PHF contain abnormally phosphorylated tau in an aggregated state, and indicate that these abnormally phosphorylated tau forms are composed of several tau isoforms and that the full length of the tau molecule is present in these polypeptides