Impact of early term and late preterm birth on infants' neurodevelopment: evidence from a cohort study in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: The incidences of early term and late preterm birth have increased worldwide during recent years. However, there is a lack of prospective study about the influence of early term and late preterm birth on infants' neurodevelopment, especially at the early stage. Therefore, we conducted this cohort study to investigate the impact of early term and late preterm birth on infants' neurodevelopment within 6 months. METHODS: This cohort study was conducted in Wuhan, China, between October 2012 and September 2013. A total of 4243 singleton infants born within 34-41 weeks of gestation at Wuhan Children's Hospital were included. The Gesell Developmental Scale (GDS) was utilized to evaluate the neurodevelopment of infants. RESULTS: Among the 4243 included participants, 155 (3.65%) were late preterm infants, 1288 (30.36%) were early term infants, and 2800 (65.99%) were full term infants. After adjusted for potential confounders, significant negative relationship was shown between late preterm birth and development quotient (DQ) in all domains of neurodevelopment: gross motor (ß = - 17.42, 95% CI: - 21.15 to - 13.69), fine motor (ß = - 23.61, 95% CI: - 28.52 to - 18.69), adaptability (ß = - 10.10, 95% CI: - 13.82 to - 6.38), language (ß = - 6.28, 95% CI: - 9.82 to - 2.74) and social behavior (ß = - 5.99, 95% CI: - 9.59 to - 2.39). There was a significant negative trend for early term birth in DQ of fine motor (ß = - 2.01, 95% CI: - 3.93 to - 0.09). Late preterm infants had a significantly elevated risk of neurodevelopmental delay in domains of gross motor (adjusted OR = 3.82, 95% CI: 2.67 to 5.46), fine motor (adjusted OR = 3.51, 95% CI: 2.47 to 5.01), and adaptability (adjusted OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.12 to 2.29), whereas early term birth was significantly associated with neurodevelopmental delay of fine motor (adjusted OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.42). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that late preterm birth mainly elevated the risk of neurodevelopmental delay of gross motor, fine motor, and adaptability, whereas early term birth was associated with the developmental delay of fine motor within 6 months. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness and necessity of the interventions at the early stage for early term and late preterm infants who had suspected neurodevelopmental delay.

Impact of maternal hypertensive disorders on offspring's neurodevelopment: a longitudinal prospective cohort study in China.

BACKGROUND: Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are the major causes of maternal mortality. However, the association between HDP and offspring's neurodevelopment remains unclear. METHOD: Participants were 4031 singleton live births from a prospective cohort study in Wuhan, China, during October 2013 to October 2014. Neurodevelopment of infant was evaluated by using Chinese version of Gesell Developmental Schedules at 0.5 year of age. Maternal HDP and potential confounders were ascertained by healthcare records at baseline. RESULTS: Generalized linear model analysis indicated that maternal chronic hypertension were significantly associated with development quotient on fine motor (ß = -3.32, 95% CI: -6.33 to -0.31), adaptability (ß = -2.87, 95% CI: -5.31 to -0.43), language (ß = -1.23, 95% CI: -2.12 to -0.34) and social behavior (ß = -2.53, 95% CI: -4.69 to -0.37), and gestational hypertension was significantly associated with development quotient on social behavior (ß = -1.42, 95% CI: -2.03 to -0.81), even after adjustment of major confounders. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that maternal chronic hypertension also increased the risk of diagnosis of "neurodevelopmental delay" on fine motor (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.19-2.89), adaptability (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.42-3.78), language (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.74-4.70), and social behavior (OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.73-2.59). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that exposure to HDP is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopment impairment in the offspring at the age of 0.5 year.

Recent advances in neuroinflammation prevention and therapy: the role of natural products and underlying mechanisms based on molecular targets.

Neuroinflammation is initiated in response to a variety of endogenous and exogenous sources. As the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, the polarization of microglia into either the M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype or the M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype holds great promise as a therapeutic strategy for neuroinflammation. Natural products, comprising a vital chemical library with distinctive structures and diverse functions, have been extensively employed to modulate microglial polarization for the treatment of neuroinflammation. In this review, we present up-to-date and extensive insights into the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of natural products in the context of neuroinflammation. Furthermore, the review aims to present a new perspective by focusing on the targets of natural compounds, elucidating the molecular mechanisms and guiding the transition from natural-derived lead compounds to potential anti-neuroinflammatory drugs. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges and limitations associated with the utilization of natural products for neuroinflammation therapy.

Wettability and biological responses of titanium surface's biomimetic hexagonal microstructure.

In this research, an experiment was conducted on how the surface wettability and biocompatibility of staplers' titanium nails impact the healing of gastrointestinal tissue. Firstly, the bionic hexagonal structure was prepared on the surface of Ti metal by laser processing technology, and the laser textured titanium samples were observed by scanning electron microscope. Then, the liquid-solid contact angle-measuring instrument was used to characterize the wettability of titanium samples. Finally, cells were cultured on the surface of different titanium samples, CCK8 assay and qRT-PCR were carried out to investigate cell adhesion and collagen secretion on the surface of different samples. The results showed that the bionic hexagonal surface increased the surface roughness, reduced the liquid-solid contact angle, and promoted the adhesion and collagen secretion of fibroblasts. The increased wettability provided a better growth environment for cell growth. Microtexture is an important factor affecting the behavior of cells and its size parameters regulate cell gene expression, which is worthy of further study.