Stage-based recipient and donor outcome in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated by fetoscopic laser surgery using Solomon technique.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate twin survival stratified by Quintero stage in patients with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) after Solomon laser treatment. METHODS: This was a single-center study at Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, investigating a cohort of consecutive twin pregnancies treated with the Solomon laser technique for TTTS. Preoperative Quintero stage, perioperative characteristics and obstetric factors were investigated in relation to neonatal survival of the recipient and donor twins at discharge. Determinants of twin survival were evaluated using univariate logistic regression and cumulative survival probability analyses. RESULTS: Of 402 pregnancies with TTTS that underwent Solomon laser treatment, 80 (19.9%) were diagnosed with Quintero Stage-I TTTS, 126 (31.3%) with Stage II, 169 (42.0%) with Stage III and 27 (6.7%) with Stage IV. Post-laser twin anemia polycythemia sequence or recurrent TTTS occurred in 19 (4.7%) patients and 11 (2.7%) required repeat laser surgery. Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes occurred in 150 (37.3%) patients and median gestational age at delivery was 32 + 1 weeks. In 303 (75.4%) patients, both twins were alive at discharge; 67/80 (83.8%) were Stage I, 101/126 (80.2%) were Stage II, 113/169 (66.9%) were Stage III and 22/27 (81.5%) were Stage IV (P = 0.062). Donor twin survival was lower than that of recipients in cases with Stage-III TTTS (118/169 (69.8%) vs 145/169 (85.8%) (χ2 = 26.076, P < 0.0001)). Higher intertwin size discordance and absent or reversed umbilical artery (UA) end-diastolic velocity (EDV) were associated with donor demise (Nagelkerke R2, 0.38; P < 0.001). Overall, spontaneous post-laser donor demise occurred in 53 (39.6%) patients, accounting for the majority of all losses. Cumulative donor survival decreased from 92% to 65% when intertwin size discordance was >30% and to 48% when UA-EDV was absent or reversed (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Solomon laser technique achieves TTTS resolution and double twin survival in a high proportion of cases. Recipient and donor survival is comparable unless there is significant intertwin size discordance and placental dysfunction. This degree of unequal placental sharing, typically found in Stage-III TTTS, is the primary factor preventing double survival due to a higher rate of donor demise. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Electric-Field Switchable Second-Harmonic Generation in Bilayer MoS2 by Inversion Symmetry Breaking.

We demonstrate pronounced electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation in naturally inversion symmetric 2H stacked bilayer MoS2 embedded into microcapacitor devices. By applying strong external electric field perturbations (|F| = ±2.6 MV cm-1) perpendicular to the basal plane of the crystal, we control the inversion symmetry breaking and, hereby, tune the nonlinear conversion efficiency. Strong tunability of the nonlinear response is observed throughout the energy range (Eω ∼ 1.25-1.47 eV) probed by measuring the second-harmonic response at E2ω, spectrally detuned from both the A- and B-exciton resonances. A 60-fold enhancement of the second-order nonlinear signal is obtained for emission at E2ω = 2.49 eV, energetically detuned by ΔE = E2ω - EC = -0.26 eV from the C-resonance (EC = 2.75 eV). The pronounced spectral dependence of the electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation signal reflects the bandstructure and wave function admixture and exhibits particularly strong tunability below the C-resonance, in good agreement with density functional theory calculations. Moreover, we show that the field-induced second-harmonic generation relies on the interlayer coupling in the bilayer. Our findings strongly suggest that the strong tunability of the electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation signal in bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides may find applications in miniaturized electrically switchable nonlinear devices.

Observation of Exciton Redshift-Blueshift Crossover in Monolayer WS2.

We report a rare atom-like interaction between excitons in monolayer WS2, measured using ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. At increasing excitation density, the exciton resonance energy exhibits a pronounced redshift followed by an anomalous blueshift. Using both material-realistic computation and phenomenological modeling, we attribute this observation to plasma effects and an attraction-repulsion crossover of the exciton-exciton interaction that mimics the Lennard-Jones potential between atoms. Our experiment demonstrates a strong analogy between excitons and atoms with respect to interparticle interaction, which holds promise to pursue the predicted liquid and crystalline phases of excitons in two-dimensional materials.

Two-Dimensional Heterojunctions from Nonlocal Manipulations of the Interactions.

We propose to create lateral heterojunctions in two-dimensional materials based on nonlocal manipulations of the Coulomb interaction using structured dielectric environments. By means of ab initio calculations for MoS2 as well as generic semiconductor models, we show that the Coulomb interaction-induced self-energy corrections in real space are sufficiently nonlocal to be manipulated externally, but still local enough to induce spatially sharp interfaces within a single homogeneous monolayer to form heterojunctions. We find a type-II heterojunction band scheme promoted by a laterally structured dielectric environment, which exhibits a sharp band gap crossover within less than 5 unit cells.

Efficient Excitonic Photoluminescence in Direct and Indirect Band Gap Monolayer MoS2.

We discuss the photoluminescence (PL) of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides on the basis of experiments and a microscopic theory. The latter connects ab initio calculations of the single-particle states and Coulomb matrix elements with a many-body description of optical emission spectra. For monolayer MoS2, we study the PL efficiency at the excitonic A and B transitions in terms of carrier populations in the band structure and provide a quantitative comparison to an (In)GaAs quantum well-structure. Suppression and enhancement of PL under biaxial strain is quantified in terms of changes in the local extrema of the conduction and valence bands. The large exciton binding energy in MoS2 enables two distinctly different excitation methods: above-band gap excitation and quasi-resonant excitation of excitonic resonances below the single-particle band gap. The latter case creates a nonequilibrium distribution of carriers predominantly in the K-valleys, which leads to strong emission from the A-exciton transition and a visible B-peak even if the band gap is indirect. For above-band gap excitation, we predict a strongly reduced emission intensity at comparable carrier densities and the absence of B-exciton emission. The results agree well with PL measurements performed on monolayer MoS2 at excitation wavelengths of 405 nm (above) and 532 nm (below the band gap).

Influence of excited carriers on the optical and electronic properties of MoS2.

We study the ground-state and finite-density optical response of molybdenum disulfide by solving the semiconductor Bloch equations, using ab initio band structures and Coulomb interaction matrix elements. Spectra for excited carrier densities up to 10(13) cm(-2) reveal a redshift of the excitonic ground-state absorption, whereas higher excitonic lines are found to disappear successively due to Coulomb-induced band gap shrinkage of more than 500 meV and binding-energy reduction. Strain-induced band variations lead to a redshift of the lowest exciton line by ∼110 meV/% and change the direct transition to indirect while maintaining the magnitude of the optical response.

Indications and management of mechanical fluid removal in critical illness.

BACKGROUND: The Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) dedicated its Twelfth Consensus Conference (2013) to all aspects of fluid therapy, including the management of fluid overload (FO). The aim of the working subgroup 'Mechanical fluid removal' was to review the indications, prescription, and management of mechanical fluid removal within the broad context of fluid management of critically ill patients. METHODS: The working group developed a list of preliminary questions and objectives and performed a modified Delphi analysis of the existing literature. Relevant studies were identified through a literature search using the MEDLINE database and bibliographies of relevant research and review articles. RESULTS: After review of the existing literature, the group agreed the following consensus statements: (i) in critically ill patients with FO and with failure of or inadequate response to pharmacological therapy, mechanical fluid removal should be considered as a therapy to optimize fluid balance. (ii) When using mechanical fluid removal or management, targets for rate of fluid removal and net fluid removal should be based upon the overall fluid balance of the patient and also physiological variables, individualized, and reassessed frequently. (iii) More research on the role and practice of mechanical fluid removal in critically ill patients not meeting fluid balance goals (including in children) is necessary. CONCLUSION: Mechanical fluid removal should be considered as a therapy for FO, but more research is necessary to determine its exact role and clinical application.

Optimal Hubbard models for materials with nonlocal Coulomb interactions: graphene, silicene, and benzene.

To understand how nonlocal Coulomb interactions affect the phase diagram of correlated electron materials, we report on a method to approximate a correlated lattice model with nonlocal interactions by an effective Hubbard model with on-site interactions U(*) only. The effective model is defined by the Peierls-Feynman-Bogoliubov variational principle. We find that the local part of the interaction U is reduced according to U(*)=U-V[over ¯], where V[over ¯] is a weighted average of nonlocal interactions. For graphene, silicene, and benzene we show that the nonlocal Coulomb interaction can decrease the effective local interaction by more than a factor of 2 in a wide doping range.

Quantum simulator to emulate lower-dimensional molecular structure.

Bottom-up quantum simulators have been developed to quantify the role of various interactions, dimensionality, and structure in creating electronic states of matter. Here, we demonstrated a solid-state quantum simulator emulating molecular orbitals, based solely on positioning individual cesium atoms on an indium antimonide surface. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, combined with ab initio calculations, we showed that artificial atoms could be made from localized states created from patterned cesium rings. These artificial atoms served as building blocks to realize artificial molecular structures with different orbital symmetries. These corresponding molecular orbitals allowed us to simulate two-dimensional structures reminiscent of well-known organic molecules. This platform could further be used to monitor the interplay between atomic structures and the resulting molecular orbital landscape with submolecular precision.

p70 S6K1 nuclear localization depends on its mTOR-mediated phosphorylation at T389, but not on its kinase activity towards S6.

The protein kinase p70 S6K1 is regulated in response to cytokines, nutrients and growth factors, and plays an important role in the development of a variety of human diseases. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is known to phosphorylate and thereby activate p70 S6K1. p70 S6K1 phosphorylates different cytoplasmic and nuclear substrates involved in the regulation of protein synthesis, cell cycle, cell growth and survival. Recently, we have shown that mTOR-mediated phosphorylation of p70 S6K1 at T389 also regulates its nucleocytoplasmic localization. Since this phosphorylation is associated with its kinase activity the question whether p70 S6K1 phosphorylation or kinase activity is essential for its proper localization remained elusive. Recently, the chemical compound PF-4708671 has been demonstrated to block p70 S6K1 kinase activity while inducing its phosphorylation at T389. This potential of PF-4708671 to separate p70 S6K1 activity from its T389 phosphorylation allowed us to demonstrate that the proper nucleocytoplasmic localization of this kinase depends on its mTOR-mediated phosphorylation but not on its kinase activity. These findings provide important insights into the regulation of p70 S6K1 and allow a more detailed understanding of subcellular enzyme localization processes.

Neurogenic differentiation of amniotic fluid stem cells.

In 2003, human amniotic fluid has been shown to contain stem cells expressing Oct-4, a marker for pluripotency. This finding initiated a rapidly growing and very promising new stem cell research field. Since then, amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells have been demonstrated to harbour the potential to differentiate into any of the three germ layers and to form three-dimensional aggregates, so-called embryoid bodies, known as the principal step in the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Marker selection and minimal dilution approaches allow the establishment of monoclonal AFS cell lineages with high proliferation potential. AFS cells have a lower risk for tumour development and do not raise the ethical issues of embryonic stem cells. Compared to induced pluripotent stem cells, AFS cells do not need exogenic treatment to induce pluripotency, are chromosomal stable and do not harbour the epigenetic memory and accumulated somatic mutations of specific differentiated source cells. Compared to adult stem cells, AFS can be grown in larger quantities and show higher differentiation potential. Accordingly, in the recent past, AFS became increasingly accepted as an optimal tool for basic research and probably also for specific cell-based therapies. Here, we review the current knowledge on the neurogenic differentiation potential of AFS cells.

Proliferation potential of human amniotic fluid stem cells differently responds to mercury and lead exposure.

There are considerable gaps in our knowledge on cell biological effects induced by the heavy metals mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). In the present study we aimed to explore the effects of these toxicants on proliferation and cell size of primary human amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells. Monoclonal human AFS cells were incubated with three dosages of Hg and Pb (single and combined treatment; ranging from physiological to cytotoxic concentrations) and the intracellular Hg and Pb concentrations were analyzed, respectively. At different days of incubation the effects of Hg and Pb on proliferation, cell size, apoptosis, and expression of cyclins and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 were investigated. Whereas we found Hg to trigger pronounced effects on proliferation of human AFS cells already at low concentrations, anti-proliferative effects of Pb could only be detected at high concentrations. Exposure to high dose of Hg induced pronounced downregulation of cyclin A confirming the anti-proliferative effects observed for Hg. Co-exposure to Hg and Pb did not cause additive effects on proliferation and size of AFS cells, and on cyclin A expression. Our here presented data provide evidence that the different toxicological effects of Pb and Hg on primary human stem cells are due to different intracellular accumulation levels of these two toxicants. These findings allow new insights into the functional consequences of Pb and Hg for mammalian stem cells and into the cell biological behavior of AFS cells in response to toxicants.

Different cytoplasmic/nuclear distribution of S6 protein phosphorylated at S240/244 and S235/236.

Higher eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis takes place in the nucleolus and requires the import of ribosomal proteins from the cytoplasm. The ribosomal protein S6 is essential for the formation of ribosome subunits, and in mice S6 heterozygosity triggers embryonal lethality. Downstream of the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signalling pathways S6 protein is phosphorylated at clustered residues S235/236 and S240/244 upon numerous physiological and pathological stimuli. Here, we show that S240/244-phosphorylated S6 is predominantly nuclear but also detectable in the cytoplasm, whereas S235/236-phosphorylated S6 is almost exclusively localized to the nucleus of primary human cells and virtually undetectable in the cytoplasm. However, in transformed cells the latter can also be detected in the cytoplasm. Experiments with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin revealed that neither blocking the phosphorylation of S6 at S235/236 and S240/244 nor arresting the cell cycle affects the cytoplasmic/nuclear localization of S6 protein. Our findings provide new insights into the regulation of S6 phosphorylation and S6 protein localization in mammalian cells.

An ultralow-noise superconducting radio-frequency ion trap for frequency metrology with highly charged ions.

We present a novel ultrastable superconducting radio-frequency (RF) ion trap realized as a combination of an RF cavity and a linear Paul trap. Its RF quadrupole mode at 34.52 MHz reaches a quality factor of Q ≈ 2.3 × 105 at a temperature of 4.1 K and is used to radially confine ions in an ultralow-noise pseudopotential. This concept is expected to strongly suppress motional heating rates and related frequency shifts that limit the ultimate accuracy achieved in advanced ion traps for frequency metrology. Running with its low-vibration cryogenic cooling system, electron-beam ion trap, and deceleration beamline supplying highly charged ions (HCIs), the superconducting trap offers ideal conditions for optical frequency metrology with ionic species. We report its proof-of-principle operation as a quadrupole-mass filter with HCIs and trapping of Doppler-cooled 9Be+ Coulomb crystals.

Evidence for cell cycle-dependent, rapamycin-resistant phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 at S240/244.

The ribosomal protein S6 is essential for the formation of the subunits of higher eukaryotic ribosomes, and S6 heterozygosity leads to early embryonal lethality in mice. S6 is phosphorylated at clustered residues S235/236 and S240/244 upon numerous physiological and pathological stimuli. So far, the S6Kinases, S6K1 and S6K2 are the only proven S6 S240/244 phosphorylating enzymes in mammalian cells. The activity of these S6Kinases is strictly regulated via the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) enzyme complex with raptor, named mTORC1. In time course experiments with the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin we here demonstrate rapamycin-resistant phosphorylation of the ribosomal protein S6 at S240/244. Serum-restimulation experiments further demonstrated that this rapamycin-resistant S6 240/244 phosphorylation is induced via serum factors in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Our data allow new insights into the regulation of S6 phosphorylation and provide evidence for the existence of rapamycin-resistant S6 phosphorylating kinase activities.