Prenatal diagnosis and postnatal verification in fetuses with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

ObjectiveTo systematically verify the accuracy of a four-step prenatal ultrasonography in diagnosing fetal total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC).MethodsA total of 62 TAPVC fetuses received prenatal ultrasonography and were confirmed by postnatal echocardiography, surgery, or postabortion autopsy. The suspected TAPVC fetuses were further screened by a four-step prenatal ultrasonography for TAPVC classification, pulmonary venous obstruction, and the associated malformations, and followed postpartum. The sonographic features, clinical data, and prognosis of the TAPVC fetuses were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsOf the 62 TAPVC fetuses, supracardiac TAPVC was found in 20 cases, intracardiac TAPVC in 12, infracardiac TAPVC in 21, and mixed TAPVC in 9. A total of 30 cases with right atrium isomerism were correctly diagnosed. Of the 11 cases with other intracardiac and extracardiac malformations, 1 case was missed to be diagnosed. Of the 21 isolated TAPVC cases, 6 were missed prenatally and 1 case was prenatally diagnosed as intracardiac and postnatally proved to be mixed (intracardiac type + supracardiac type) by echocardiography. Of the 13 TAPVC live births, 4 infants died in the neonatal period without operation. Of the nine infants undergoing the operation, five recuperated and survived; one survived but had complications with superior vena cava obstruction and collateral circulation formation, and three died postoperatively.ConclusionThe four-step prenatal ultrasound procedure can comprehensively and systematically evaluate fetal TAPVC, detailing the classification, potential obstruction, and associated malformations. It provides substantial support for subsequent prenatal counseling and neonatal assessment. The retrospective analysis also reveals that isolated TAPVC is more prone to be missed in diagnosis

Experimental Study on Coal Specimens Subjected to Uniaxial Cyclic Loading and Unloading

The paper represents a test investigation of the mechanical properties and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of low-strength coal specimens subjected to cyclic loading and unloading. From the lab tests, the following conclusions can be obtained: (1) The axial strain is very well linear with the loading–unloading cycle number, and the circumferential and volumetric strains are approximately quadratic functions with the loading–unloading cycle number; (2) Under the same loading stress interval, the elastic modulus firstly increases and then remains stable with the loading–unloading cycle number. In addition, the higher the maximum stress of a loading–unloading cycle, the more significant the plastic strengthening effect produced by this cycle; (3) The damage calculated by the cumulative AE hit count can better reflect the fact that the damage has been increasing in the loading phase and keeps basically unchanged in the unloading phase. So, the AE hit count, as a damage variable, can better describe the damage development of coal specimens. (4) The significant fluctuation of the AE b value can be used as the precursor of coal specimen failure. Additionally, the AE b value decreases rapidly at coal specimen failure. (5) The closer to the loading–unloading cycle of coal specimen failure, the more accurate the predicted “maximum magnitude” at coal specimen failure

Experimental Study on Coal Specimens Subjected to Uniaxial Cyclic Loading and Unloading

The paper represents a test investigation of the mechanical properties and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of low-strength coal specimens subjected to cyclic loading and unloading. From the lab tests, the following conclusions can be obtained: (1) The axial strain is very well linear with the loading–unloading cycle number, and the circumferential and volumetric strains are approximately quadratic functions with the loading–unloading cycle number; (2) Under the same loading stress interval, the elastic modulus firstly increases and then remains stable with the loading–unloading cycle number. In addition, the higher the maximum stress of a loading–unloading cycle, the more significant the plastic strengthening effect produced by this cycle; (3) The damage calculated by the cumulative AE hit count can better reflect the fact that the damage has been increasing in the loading phase and keeps basically unchanged in the unloading phase. So, the AE hit count, as a damage variable, can better describe the damage development of coal specimens. (4) The significant fluctuation of the AE b value can be used as the precursor of coal specimen failure. Additionally, the AE b value decreases rapidly at coal specimen failure. (5) The closer to the loading–unloading cycle of coal specimen failure, the more accurate the predicted “maximum magnitude” at coal specimen failure

Robust registration of multi-modal remote sensing images based on multi-dimensional oriented self-similarity features

Registration of multi-modal remote sensing images (MRSI) is crucial for unlocking the full potential of heterogeneous remote sensing imagery. However, achieving accurate registration among MRSI is challenging due to the trade-off between geometric invariance and matching accuracy, caused by differences in signal-to-noise ratio and nonlinear radiometric distortion (NRD) arising from varying imaging mechanisms. To tackle the challenge, this paper proposes a lightweight and hybrid feature-guided registration algorithm for MRSI called the hybrid registration algorithm based on multi-dimensional oriented self-similarity features (MOSS). MOSS leverages the advantages of multi-dimensional oriented self-similarity features to progressively enhance registration performance. In the hybrid feature coarse matching stage, oriented self-similarity features are extracted from MRSI, and their directional information is utilized for feature description to estimate the initial affine transformation. The fine matching under multi-dimensional oriented self-similarity features stage takes the outputs of the coarse matching stage to perform a template-like matching process. To evaluate the performance of MOSS, comprehensive experiments are conducted using six different combinations of MRSI, and seven state-of-the-art registration algorithms are selected for comparison. The experimental results demonstrate that MOSS outperforms the compared methods, with the number of correct matches being at least about 1.6 times higher than the comparison methods. Moreover, MOSS exhibits the lowest root mean square error across all experiments, with an average RMSE of 1.86 pixels, achieving an RMSE within 2 pixels. This highlights its effectiveness in achieving precise alignment and robust registration of MRSI

DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 2 (DGCR2), a schizophrenia risk gene, regulates dendritic spine development through cell adhesion

Abstract Background Dendritic spines are the sites of excitatory synapses on pyramidal neurons, and their development is crucial for neural circuits and brain functions. The spine shape, size, or number alterations are associated with neurological disorders, including schizophrenia. DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 2 (DGCR2) is one of the deleted genes within the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), which is a high risk for developing schizophrenia. DGCR2 expression was reduced in schizophrenics. However, the pathophysiological mechanism of DGCR2 in schizophrenia or 22q11DS is still unclear. Results Here, we report that DGCR2 expression was increased during the neurodevelopmental period and enriched in the postsynaptic densities (PSDs). DGCR2-deficient hippocampal neurons formed fewer spines. In agreement, glutamatergic transmission and synaptic plasticity were decreased in the hippocampus of DGCR2-deficient mice. Further molecular studies showed that the extracellular domain (ECD) of DGCR2 is responsible for its transcellular interaction with cell adhesion molecule Neurexin1 (NRXN1) and spine development. Consequently, abnormal behaviors, like anxiety, were observed in DGCR2-deficient mice. Conclusions These observations indicate that DGCR2 is a novel cell adhesion molecule required for spine development and synaptic plasticity, and its deficiency induces abnormal behaviors in mice. This study provides a potential pathophysiological mechanism of DGCR2 in 22q11DS and related mental disorders

A centimeter scale self-standing two-dimensional ultra-thin mesoporous platinum nanosheet

Here, we report the unprecedented synthesis of centimeter scale self-standing mesoporous Pt nanosheets. Due to solvent evaporation, spherical micelles made of poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-P2VP-PEO) self-assemble in a well-ordered fashion, over the entire surface of the substrate, and confined within an ultra-thin layer. Metal deposition around the micelles is carried out through a two-step reduction process using two different reducing agents. After removing the micelles and substrate, a continuous self-standing ultra-thin mesoporous Pt nanosheet can be obtained (∼15 nm thick). Due to several unique porous structural features, including abundant active sites, high surface area, and long-range orthogonally ordered pores, the obtained material is expected to deliver high performance in a wide range of electrochemical applications. This novel synthetic strategy opens a new route to design and control novel 2D mesoporous metal nanosheets with various functions

Gill transcriptomes analysis of Takifugu obscurus, Takifugu rubripes and their hybrid offspring in freshwater and seawater

Osmoregulation is essential for aquatic organisms to balance their internal fluids and ions and adapt to environmental changes. The gills are a crucial organ for maintaining osmotic balance in fish by regulating the uptake and excretion of ions. Changes in the salinity of the aquatic environment can lead to alterations in the expression of genes within gill cells, which helps to maintain the internal salinity balance and allows the fish to adapt to different salinity levels. In this study, we used transcriptomic data of the gill from the euryhaline Takifugu obscurus and the stenohaline Takifugu rubripes, as well as their hybrid offspring (Tor1 and Tor2), to investigate how the gill contributes to osmoregulation in response to freshwater and seawater. Our study revealed 8 commonly differentially expressed genes among these four fish species. Analysis of the T. obscurus transcriptome data has demonstrated that SLC1a5, a member of the solute carrier (SLC) family, and Gper1, a G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1-like, are enriched in many biological processes and might be important for its osmoregulation in freshwater. Furthermore, PDE8B, Lrrc9 and Cplx4 might be important osmoregulatory genes that are inherited by offspring in T. obscurus. Moreover, upon encountering changes in water salinity, T. rubripes and the hybrid offspring Tor1 reveal a marked concentration of differentially expressed genes in metabolic pathways within their gills, whereas T. obscurus and the hybrid offspring Tor2 show a more even distribution of DEGs across various signaling pathways. Finally, the Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the T. rubripes displayed a significant correlation with Tor1, while the T. obscurus was significantly related to Tor2. Overall, this study provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the salinity adaptation mechanisms in hybrid offspring of Takifugu, and holds significant implications for guiding the breeding of economically valuable Takifugu strains with improved traits

Decrypting the controlled product selectivity over Ag-Cu bimetallic surface alloys for electrochemical CO2 reduction

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) with controlled product selectivity is realized on Ag−Cu bimetallic surface alloys, with high selectivity towards C2 hydrocarbons/alcohols (≈60 % faradaic efficiency, FE), C1 hydrocarbons/alcohols (≈41 % FE) and CO (≈74 % FE) achieved by tuning surface compositions and applied potentials. In situ spectral investigations and theoretical calculations reveal that surface-composition-dependent d-band center could tune *CO binding strengths, regulating the *CO subsequent reaction pathways and then the product selectivity. Further adjusting the applied potentials will alter the energy of participated electrons, which leads to controlled ECO2RR selectivity towards desired products. A predominant region map, with an indicator proposed to evaluate the thermodynamic predominance of the *CO subsequent reactions, is then provided as a reliable theoretical guidance for the controllable ECO2RR product selectivity over bimetallic alloys.補正完畢DE

Alkylene tether-length dependent gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor competitive antagonism by tacrine dimers

Bis(7)-tacrine was previously demonstrated as an antagonist of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptors. In this study, the effects of a series of alkylene-linked tacrine dimers on GABAA receptors were examined. In radioligand binding assay, the analogues differed in binding affinity for GABAA receptors, and potency monotonically increased as the tether was shortened from nine to two methylenes. Bis(2)-tacrine, the shortest tacrine dimer, could displace [H-3]muscimol from rat brain membranes with an IC50 of 0.48 M, which was 11, 13 and 525 times more potent than the GABAA receptor antagonist (+)-bicucul line, bis(7)-tacrine and tacrine, respectively. In whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, these dimeric tacrine analogues competitively antagonized GABA-induced inward current with a rank order of potency of bis(2)-tacrine > bicuculline > bis(7)-tacrine > bis(9)-tacrine > tacrine, and the potency of bis(2)-tacrine was 11, 18 and 487 times higher than that of (+)bicuculline, bis(7)-tacrine and tacrine, respectively. Bis(2)-tacrine shifted the GABA concentration-response curve to the right in a parallel manner, and the inhibition was voltage-independent between -80 and +20 mV. It can be concluded that the shorter the alkylene linkage in tacrine dimers the stronger the binding affinity and higher the antagonistic effect on the GABAA receptor will be. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved