Perinatal and 2-year neurodevelopmental outcome in late preterm fetal compromise: the TRUFFLE 2 randomised trial protocol

Introduction: Following the detection of fetal growth restriction, there is no consensus about the criteria that should trigger delivery in the late preterm period. The consequences of inappropriate early or late delivery are potentially important yet practice varies widely around the world, with abnormal findings from fetal heart rate monitoring invariably leading to delivery. Indices derived from fetal cerebral Doppler examination may guide such decisions although there are few studies in this area. We propose a randomised, controlled trial to establish the optimum method of timing delivery between 32 weeks and 36 weeks 6 days of gestation. We hypothesise that delivery on evidence of cerebral blood flow redistribution reduces a composite of perinatal poor outcome, death and short-term hypoxia-related morbidity, with no worsening of neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years. Methods and analysis: Women with non-anomalous singleton pregnancies 32+0 to 36+6 weeks of gestation in whom the estimated fetal weight or abdominal circumference is <10th percentile or has decreased by 50 percentiles since 18-32 weeks will be included for observational data collection. Participants will be randomised if cerebral blood flow redistribution is identified, based on umbilical to middle cerebral artery pulsatility index ratio values. Computerised cardiotocography (cCTG) must show normal fetal heart rate short term variation (≥4.5 msec) and absence of decelerations at randomisation. Randomisation will be 1:1 to immediate delivery or delayed delivery (based on cCTG abnormalities or other worsening fetal condition). The primary outcome is poor condition at birth and/or fetal or neonatal death and/or major neonatal morbidity, the secondary non-inferiority outcome is 2-year infant general health and neurodevelopmental outcome based on the Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised questionnaire. Ethics and dissemination: The Study Coordination Centre has obtained approval from London-Riverside Research Ethics Committee (REC) and Health Regulatory Authority (HRA). Publication will be in line with NIHR Open Access policy. Trial registration number: Main sponsor: Imperial College London, Reference: 19QC5491. Funders: NIHR HTA, Reference: 127 976. Study coordination centre: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0HS with Centre for Trials Research, College of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Cardiff University. IRAS Project ID: 266 400. REC reference: 20/LO/0031. ISRCTN registry: 76 016 200

The Electronic Properties of Silicon Nanowires during Their Dissolution under Simulated Physiological Conditions

Silicon nanowires are considered promising future biomedical sensors. However, their limited stability under physiological conditions poses a challenge in sensor development and necessitates a significantly improved knowledge of underlying effects as well as new solutions to enhance silicon nanowire durability. In the present study, we deduced the dissolution rates of silicon nanowires under simulated physiological conditions from atomic force microscopy measurements. We correlated the relevant change in nanowire diameter to changes in the electronic properties by examining the I-V characteristics of kinked silicon nanowire p–n junctions. Contact potential difference measurements and ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy additionally gave insights into the electronic surface band structure. During the first week of immersion, the Fermi level of n-type silicon nanowires shifted considerably to higher energies, partly even above the conduction band edge, which manifested in an increased conductivity. After about a week, the Fermi level stabilized and the conductivity decreased consistently with the decreasing diameter caused by continuous nanowire dissolution. Our results show that a physiological environment can substantially affect the surface band structure of silicon nanowire devices, and with it, their electronic properties. Therefore, it is necessary to study these effects and find strategies to gain reliable biomedical sensors

MOESM3 of Effect of skilled reaching training and enriched environment on generation of oligodendrocytes in the adult sensorimotor cortex and corpus callosum

Additional file 3: Figure S2. Characterisation of NG2+ and DCX+ cells by flow cytometry analysis, immunohistochemical analysis and qPCR. (A) The percentage of NG2+DCX+ cells was about 61% in the adult rat cortex after flow cytometry analysis. (B) Compared to flow cytometry analysis, about 79% of NG2+ cells were co-labelled against DCX. (C) DCX expression pattern flow cytometry-sorted NG2 cells identified by qPCR. MW, molecular weight; Ctrl, control for rat DCX Primer. Error bars represent S.D

Auf dem Weg zum Niedrigstenergiegebäudestandard. Tools für politische Entscheidungsträger: ENTRANZE (Policies to enforce the transition to nearly Zero Energy Buildings in the EU-28) project

Ein Gebäudebestand mit sehr niedrigem Energieverbrauch ist in der EU möglich. ENTRANZE1 entwickelte ein "Politiklabor", um die möglichen Auswirkungen von nationalen Strategien und Maßnahmen für Gebäude, die dieses Ziel erreichen, weiterzu-entwickeln und zu analysieren. Der Kern von ENTRANZE war es, die politischen Entscheidungsträger bei der Entwicklung integrierter, effektiver und effizienter Maßnah-menpakete, die eine schnelle und starke Verbreitung von Niedrigstenergiegebäuden (NZEB ) und erneuerbaren Heiz- und Kühltechnologien (RES H / C) erlauben, zu unterstützen. Dies geschah mit einem Schwerpunkt auf der Sanierung bestehender Gebäude. Dieser Bericht gibt einen Überblick über die Maßnahmen und die Ergebnisse von ENTRANZE. Das Projekt umfasst alle 28 Staaten der Europäischen Union. Allerdings wurden nicht alle Untersuchungen im gleichen Umfang für alle Mitgliedstaaten (MS) durchgeführt. Die wichtigsten Zielländer (Österreich, Bulgarien, Tschechische Republik, Finnland, Frankreich, Deutschland, Italien, Rumänien, Spanien) decken mehr als 60% des Gebäudebestands und alle wichtigen Klimaregionen der EU ab