Coarse-Grained Approach to Simulate Signatures of Excitation Energy Transfer in Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy of Large Molecular Systems.

Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) has proven to be a highly effective technique in studying the properties of excited states and the process of excitation energy transfer in complex molecular assemblies, particularly in biological light-harvesting systems. However, the accurate simulation of 2DES for large systems still poses a challenge because of the heavy computational demands it entails. In an effort to overcome this limitation, we devised a coarse-grained 2DES method. This method encompasses the treatment of the entire system by dividing it into distinct weakly coupled segments, which are assumed to communicate predominantly through incoherent exciton transfer. We first demonstrate the efficiency of this method through simulation on a model dimer system, which demonstrates a marked improvement in calculation efficiency, with results that exhibit good concordance with reference spectra calculated with less approximate methods. Additionally, the application of this method to the light-harvesting antenna 2 (LH2) complex of purple bacteria showcases its advantages, accuracy, and limitations. Furthermore, simulating the anisotropy decay in LH2 induced by energy transfer and its comparison with experiments confirm that the method is capable of accurately describing dynamical processes in a biologically relevant system. This method presented lends itself to an extension that accounts for the effect of intrasegment relaxation processes on the 2DES spectra, which for computational efficiency are ignored in the implementation reported here. It is envisioned that the method will be employed in the future to accurately and efficiently calculate 2D spectra of more extensive systems, such as photosynthetic supercomplexes.

Biomarkers in the prediction of complications in pregnancy after assisted reproductive technology.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the temporal changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI), placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) across gestation between assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancies complicated with great obstetrical syndromes (GOS) or gestational diabetes (GDM) ± large-for-gestational-age (LGA) fetus, and uncomplicated ART pregnancies. METHODS: This was a prospective longitudinal study of 143 women with singleton pregnancies who conceived through ART at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Prince of Wales Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR between December 2017 and January 2020. The participants were followed up at 6-6+3, 11-13+6, 20-24+6, 30-34+6, and 35-37+6 weeks for the measurement of MAP, UtA-PI, PlGF, and sFlt-1. A linear mixed-effects analysis was performed to compare the biomarkers in the GOS, GDM ± LGA, and uncomplicated groups across gestation. RESULTS: Thirty-three (23.1%) and fifty-five (31.5%) women were diagnosed with GOS and GDM ± LGA, respectively. The GOS group had higher estimated marginal mean log10 MAP mulitples of the median (MoM) across gestation, compared with the uncomplicated group (0.00771 vs -0.02022; P < 0.001), when adjusting for clinical visits and days of embryo transfer. The absolute mean log10 MAP MoM in the GOS group was found to be significantly higher than that of the uncomplicated group at all clinical visits from 6 weeks onwards. Furthermore, the estimated marginal mean log10 PlGF MoM was significantly lower in the GOS group across gestation, compared with the uncomplicated group (-0.04226 vs 0.05566; P = 0.010). The significant difference in log10 PlGF MoM was observed from 11-13+6 to 30-34+6 week of gestation (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences in the estimated marginal means of log10 UtA-PI MoM and log10 sFlt-1 MoM between GOS and uncomplicated groups were observed. GDM ± LGA group had a lower estimated marginal mean log10 PlGF MoM throughout pregnancy compared with the uncomplicated group (-0.01536 vs 0.05572; P = 0.032). In the individual visit analysis, the significant difference was observed at the 20-24+6 and 35-37+6 weeks visits (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in estimated marginal mean log10 MoM of MAP, UtA-PI, and sFlt-1 between GDM ± LGA and uncomplicated groups during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Our study has revealed that among pregnancies conceived through ART, GOS is associated with higher MAP and lower PlGF from early gestation until late third trimester, while GDM ± LGA is associated with lower PlGF during the second half of pregnancy. The same degree of differences in MAP and PlGF persists from early until late gestation in the GOS group and these findings highlight the importance of early screening during the first trimester to identify women who are at risk for developing GOS following ART procedures. Lastly, the potential of PlGF in predicting the development of GDM from the second trimester of pregnancy requires further investigation.

Therapists' perspective on acceptance of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation in a middle-income country: a study from Vietnam.

Robot-assisted physical rehabilitation offers promising benefits for patients, yet its adoption among therapists remains a complex challenge. This study investigates the acceptance of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation technology among therapists in Vietnam, a middle-income country with a growing demand for rehabilitation services. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), an online survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore therapists' attitudes and intentions towards using this technology. The results show that Vietnamese therapists recognised its potential benefits and expressed a willingness to use it. Although having similar acceptance patterns compared to developed regions, they demonstrated significantly higher levels of agreement across acceptance constructs. This may be attributed to factors such as the novelty effect, cultural perceptions of robots, and the high workload of therapists in Vietnam. Gender and location were found to influence two acceptance constructs-subjective norms and image, respectively-highlighting the need for tailored strategies in technology implementation. The study underscores the importance of considering socio-cultural factors in the adoption of technology and provides insights for enhancing the acceptance and effectiveness of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation in Vietnam. This contributes to the global understanding of therapist acceptance of technology in this field.

While robot-assisted physical rehabilitation offers promising benefits, there is limited understanding of therapist acceptance on a global scale, highlighting the need for more research in this area.This study in a middle-income country, Vietnam, reveals a generally positive view among therapists, but specific issues such as the novelty effect, cultural perceptions of robots, and high therapist workload impact acceptance levels, indicating the need for tailored strategies.Strategies for implementing robot-assisted physical rehabilitation should include addressing training needs, providing technological support, and considering sociocultural factors to enhance acceptance and effectiveness.

Effective degradation of tetracycline in aqueous solution by an electro-Fenton process using chemically modified carbon/α-FeOOH as catalyst.

This study applied an electro-Fenton process using chemically modified activated carbon derived from rubber seed shells loaded with α-FeOOH (RSCF) as catalyst to remove tetracycline residues from aquatic environment. Catalyst characteristics were evaluated using SEM, EDS, XRD, and XPS, showing successful insertion of iron onto the activated carbon. The effects of the parameters were investigated, and the highest treatment efficiency was achieved at pH of 3, Fe: H2O2 ratio (w/w) of 500:1, catalyst dose of 1 g/L, initial TCH concentration of 100 mg/L, and electric current of 150 mA, with more than 90% of TCH being eliminated within 30 min. Furthermore, even after five cycles of use, the treatment efficiency remains above 90%. The rate constant is calculated to be 0.218 min-1, with high regression coefficients (R 2 = 0.93). The activation energy (Ea) was found to be 32.2 kJ/mol, indicating that the degradation of TCH was a simple reaction with a low activation energy. These findings showed that the RSCF is a highly efficient and cost-effective catalyst for TCH degradation. Moreover, the use of e-Fenton process has the advantage of high efficiency, low cost thanks to the recyclability of the catalyst, and environmental friendliness thanks to less use of H2O2.

Implementation of First-trimester Screening and Prevention of Preeclampsia: a Stepped Wedge Cluster-randomized Trial in Asia.

BACKGROUND: This trial aimed to assess the efficacy, acceptability and safety of a first-trimester screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm preeclampsia (PE) in Asia. METHODS: Between 1st August 2019 and 28th February 2022, this multicenter stepped wedge cluster randomized trial included maternity/diagnostic units from ten regions in Asia. The trial started with a period where all recruiting centers provided routine antenatal care without study-related intervention. At regular six-week intervals, one cluster was randomized to transit from non-intervention phase to intervention phase. In the intervention phase, women underwent first-trimester screening for preterm PE using a Bayes theorem-based triple-test. High-risk women, with adjusted risk for preterm PE ≥ 1 in 100, received low-dose aspirin from <16 weeks until 36 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 88.04% (42,897/48,725) of women agreed to undergo first-trimester screening for preterm PE. Among those identified as high-risk in the intervention phase, 82.39% (2,919/3,543) received aspirin prophylaxis. There was no significant difference in the incidence of preterm PE between the intervention and non-intervention phases (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91 to 2.77). However, among high-risk women in the intervention phase, aspirin prophylaxis was significantly associated with a 41% reduction in the incidence of preterm PE (aOR 0.59; 95%CI 0.37 to 0.92). Additionally, it correlated with 54%, 55% and 64% reduction in the incidence of PE with delivery at <34 weeks (aOR 0.46; 95%CI 0.23 to 0.93), spontaneous preterm birth <34 weeks (aOR 0.45; 95%CI 0.22 to 0.92) and perinatal death (aOR 0.34; 95%CI 0.12 to 0.91), respectively. There was no significant between-group difference in the incidence of aspirin-related severe adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE is not associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of preterm PE. However, low-dose aspirin effectively reduces the incidence of preterm PE by 41% among high-risk women. The screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE is highly accepted by a diverse group of women from various ethnic backgrounds beyond the original population where the strategy was developed. These findings underpin the importance of the widespread implementation of the screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm PE on a global scale.

Ultrasonographic placental parameters at 11-13+6 weeks' gestation in the prediction of complications in pregnancy after assisted reproductive technology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of maternal factors, biophysical and biochemical markers at 11-13 + 6 weeks' gestation in the prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus with or without large for gestational age (GDM ± LGA) fetus and great obstetrical syndromes (GOS) among singleton pregnancy following in-vitro fertilisation (IVF)/embryo transfer (ET). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted between December 2017 and January 2020 including patients who underwent IVF/ET. Maternal mean arterial pressure (MAP), ultrasound markers including placental volume, vascularisation index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularisation flow index (VFI), mean uterine artery pulsatility index (mUtPI) and biochemical markers including placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) were measured at 11-13 + 6 weeks' gestation. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significant predictors of complications. RESULTS: Among 123 included pregnancies, 38 (30.9%) had GDM ± LGA fetus and 28 (22.8%) had GOS. The median maternal height and body mass index were significantly higher in women with GDM ± LGA fetus. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that in the prediction of GDM ± LGA fetus and GOS, there were significant independent contributions from FI MoM (area under curve (AUROC) of 0.610, 95% CI 0.492-0.727; p = 0.062) and MAP MoM (AUROC of 0.645, 95% CI 0.510-0.779; p = 0.026), respectively. CONCLUSION: FI and MAP are independent predictors for GDM ± LGA fetus and GOS, respectively. However, they have low predictive value. There is a need to identify more specific novel biomarkers in differentiating IVF/ET pregnancies that are at a higher risk of developing complications.

Validation of the first-trimester machine learning model for predicting pre-eclampsia in an Asian population.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) model for first-trimester screening for pre-eclampsia in a large Asian population. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study in 10 935 participants with singleton pregnancies attending for routine pregnancy care at 11-13+6 weeks of gestation in seven regions in Asia between December 2016 and June 2018. We applied the AI+ML model for the first-trimester prediction of preterm pre-eclampsia (<37 weeks), term pre-eclampsia (≥37 weeks), and any pre-eclampsia, which was derived and tested in a cohort of pregnant participants in the UK (Model 1). This model comprises maternal factors with measurements of mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, and serum placental growth factor (PlGF). The model was further retrained with adjustments for analyzers used for biochemical testing (Model 2). Discrimination was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The Delong test was used to compare the AUC of Model 1, Model 2, and the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) competing risk model. RESULTS: The predictive performance of Model 1 was significantly lower than that of the FMF competing risk model in the prediction of preterm pre-eclampsia (0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.87 vs. 0.86, 95% CI 0.811-0.91, P = 0.019), term pre-eclampsia (0.75, 95% CI 0.71-0.80 vs. 0.79, 95% CI 0.75-0.83, P = 0.006), and any pre-eclampsia (0.78, 95% CI 0.74-0.81 vs. 0.82, 95% CI 0.79-0.84, P < 0.001). Following the retraining of the data with adjustments for the PlGF analyzers, the performance of Model 2 for predicting preterm pre-eclampsia, term pre-eclampsia, and any pre-eclampsia was improved with the AUC values increased to 0.84 (95% CI 0.80-0.89), 0.77 (95% CI 0.73-0.81), and 0.80 (95% CI 0.76-0.83), respectively. There were no differences in AUCs between Model 2 and the FMF competing risk model in the prediction of preterm pre-eclampsia (P = 0.135) and term pre-eclampsia (P = 0.084). However, Model 2 was inferior to the FMF competing risk model in predicting any pre-eclampsia (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that following adjustment for the biochemical marker analyzers, the predictive performance of the AI+ML prediction model for pre-eclampsia in the first trimester was comparable to that of the FMF competing risk model in an Asian population.

Aspirin versus metformin in pregnancies at high risk of preterm pre-eclampsia in China (AVERT): protocol for a multicentre, double-blind, 3-arm randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-eclampsia (PE) affects about 5% of Chinese pregnant women and is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The first trimester screening model developed by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, which uses the Bayes theorem to combine maternal characteristics and medical history together with measurements of biomarkers, has been proven to be effective and has superior screening performance to that of the traditional risk factor-based approach for the prediction of PE. Prophylactic use of low-dose aspirin in women at risk for PE has resulted in a lower incidence of preterm-PE. However, there is no consensus on the preferred aspirin dosage for the prevention of preterm-PE. Evidence has also suggested that metformin has the potential benefit in preventing PE in pregnant women who are at high risk of the disorder. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: We present a protocol (V.2.0, date 17 March 2022) for the AVERT trial, which is a multicentre, double-blinded, 3-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) that uses an effective PE screening programme to explore the optimal dosage of aspirin and the role of metformin for the prevention of PE among high-risk pregnant women in China. We intend to recruit 66 000 singleton pregnancies without treatment of low-dose aspirin and metformin at 11-13 weeks' gestation and all eligible women attending for their first trimester routine scan will be invited to undergo screening for preterm-PE by the combination of maternal factors, mean arterial pressure and placental growth factor. Women found to be at high risk of developing preterm-PE will be invited to take part in the RCT. This study will compare the incidence of preterm-PE with delivery at <37 weeks' gestation, as the primary outcome, of three different interventional groups: (1) aspirin 75 mg daily, (2) aspirin 150 mg daily and (3) aspirin 75 mg with metformin 1.5 g daily. 957 participants per treatment group are required to detect a significant difference of 59% in the reduction of the incidence of preterm-PE with 80% power and type I error of 5%. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes will be collected and analysed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Joint Chinese University of Hong Kong-New Territories East Cluster Clinical Research Ethics Committee (CREC Ref. No. 2021.406) in Hong Kong and the Ethics Committee of each participating hospital in Mainland China. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. The results of the AVERT trial will be disseminated at international academic conferences and published in high-impact factor journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05580523.

Morphological Characteristics of the Vietnamese Adult Human Acetabulum Using Multiplanar Reconstruction Computed Tomography in Total Hip Replacement Surgery.

Background: The anatomical parameters of the acetabulum vary among races and geographical regions. Multislice Computed Tomography (CT) has proven to be a practical approach to assess morphological parameters of the acetabulum. The purpose of this study was to explore morphological characteristics of the acetabulum measured by CT scans in Vietnamese adults. Methods: Thirty-five consecutive patients aged 18 years and older received indications and eligibility for total hip replacement surgery. Sixty-three acetabulum were examined with multislice computed tomographic system (CT) with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR). Measured morphometric parameters of acetabulum included acetabular inclination angle (AIA), acetabular anteversion angle (AAA), acetabular angle of sharp (AAS), sagittal acetabular angle (SAA), acetabular horizontal offset (AHO), transverse acetabular ligament anteversion (TALA), transverse acetabular ligament inclination (TALI), acetabular depth (ADe), acetabular depth ratio (ADr) and acetabular diameter (ADi). Results: The mean values of acetabular diameter, femoral head diameter, AIA, AAA, AAS, SAA, TALA, TALI, AHO, ADe, ADr were 50.22±3.56 mm, 43.54±3.68 mm, 40.27±5.09 mm, 13.30±5.54 mm, 39.46±5.41 mm, 26.38±9.01 mm, 9.49±3.92 mm, 47.70±6.73 mm, 3.06±0.37 mm, 18.62±2.95 mm and 309.60±41.87 mm. Conclusion: Our initial data has showed morphological characteristics of the acetabulum in Vietnamese adults, different from the populations from other parts of world. Also, significant correlation between the orientation of the acetabulum and the transverse acetabular ligament was documented.

Tailoring hierarchical structures in cellulose carbon aerogels from sugarcane bagasse using different crosslinking agents for enhancing electrochemical desalination capability.

Sugarcane bagasse is one of the most common Vietnamese agricultural waste, which possesses a large percentage of cellulose, making it an abundant and environmentally friendly source for the fabrication of cellulose carbon aerogel. Herein, waste sugarcane bagasse was used to synthesize cellulose aerogel using different crosslinking agents such as urea, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA). The 3D porous network of cellulose aerogels was constructed by intermolecular hydrogen bonding, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption. Among the three cellulose aerogel samples, cellulose - SA aerogel (SB-CA-SA) has low density of 0.04 g m-3 and high porosity of 97.38%, leading to high surface area of 497.9 m2 g-1 with 55.67% micropores of activated carbon aerogel (SB-ACCA-SA). The salt adsorption capacity was high (17.87 mg g-1), which can be further enhanced to 31.40 mg g-1 with the addition of CNT. Moreover, the desalination process using the SB-ACCA-SA-CNT electrode was stable even after 50 cycles. The results show the great combination of cellulose from waste sugarcane bagasse with sodium alginate and carbon nanotubes in the fabrication of carbon materials as the CDI-utilized electrodes with high desalination capability and good durability.

Inter-subunit energy transfer processes in a minimal plant photosystem II supercomplex.

Photosystem II (PSII) is an integral part of the photosynthesis machinery, in which several light-harvesting complexes rely on inter-complex excitonic energy transfer (EET) processes to channel energy to the reaction center. In this paper, we report on a direct observation of the inter-complex EET in a minimal PSII supercomplex from plants, containing the trimeric light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), the monomeric light-harvesting complex CP26, and the monomeric PSII core complex. Using two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectroscopy, we measure an inter-complex EET timescale of 50 picoseconds for excitations from the LHCII-CP26 peripheral antenna to the PSII core. The 2D electronic spectra also reveal that the transfer timescale is nearly constant over the pump spectrum of 600 to 700 nanometers. Structure-based calculations reveal the contribution of each antenna complex to the measured inter-complex EET time. These results provide a step in elucidating the full inter-complex energy transfer network of the PSII machinery.

Perceived intravaginal ejaculation latency time: The diagnosis of premature ejaculation among Vietnamese men.

INTRODUCTION: Premature ejaculation (PE) is a prevalent sexual dysfunction in men that greatly affects their quality of life. In PE, the duration of sexual performance is considered an important aspect. However, a self-estimated value of intravaginal ejaculation latency time (perceived IELT, PIELT) as a criterion for diagnosis has not been specified. AIM: This study aimed to determine the validity and a threshold value for PIELT in PE diagnosis. METHOD: In our cross-sectional study, we recruited 550 men from March 2019 to January 2020 and interviewed them regarding their general demographic characteristics, sexual habits, PIELT and completed a premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT) questionnaire. Eventually, a combination of a clinical diagnosis and PEDT score was used, in which those with PEDT ≥ 11 and diagnosed with possible PE were assigned to the final PE(+) group; those with PEDT score ≤ 8 and diagnosed with no PE were included in the final PE(-) group. RESULTS: Men PE(-) had more frequent sexual intercourse (9.74 ± 5.38 vs. 6.69 ± 5.38 episodes per month, p < 0.001) and had higher marriage rate (72.7% vs. 60.4%, p = 0.002) than PE(+) patients. No significant difference was noted regarding age, smoking habit, age of first sexual experience, and number of sexual partners between the two groups. The mean PIELT of control subjects and PE(+) patients were 11.69 ± 6.83 min and 2.01 ± 1.21 min, respectively. On receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cut-off value of PIELT of 3.75 min can be used to distinguish PE men (area under the curve = 0.982, sensitivity/specificity = 0.961/0.909), which means that men with a PIELT ≤ 3.5 min is suggestive of PE. CONCLUSION: The impact of PE is dramatic both from a social and a personal perspective. PE(+) patients married significantly less and have significantly lower sexual activity compared to a PE(-) population. Furthermore, a PIELT of ≤ 3.5 min predicts PE demonstrating the need to revise its taxonomy and definition.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among Vietnamese adult employees.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metabolic syndrome (MtS) is associated with increased risk of many health disorders, especially cardiovascular diseases. In Vietnam, study examining MtS is meager and especially lacking for the workforce. We estimated the prevalence of MtS and its associated factors among Vietnamese employees. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed secondary data of annual health check of employees of 300 Vietnamese companies from the Vinmec Healthcare System. We used three definitions for MtS: International Diabetes Federation (IDF), National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), and NCEP ATP III-Asia. Of 57,997 participants evaluated, 48.5 % were males and 66.2 % were younger than 40 years old. The unadjusted MtS prevalence was 8.4 % (IDF), 10.2 % (NCEP ATP III), and 16.0 % (NCEP ATP III-Asia). The age-sex adjusted prevalence of MtS (NCEP ATP III-Asia) was 21.8 % (95 % confidence interval (CI): 21.4 %, 22.2 %). MtS prevalence increased with age, reached 49.6 % for age ≥60. The aging related increase was more remarkable in females than males (prevalence ratio (PR) (95 % CI) for age ≥60 comparing to age <30 years old in males vs. females was 4.0 (3.6, 4.3) vs. 20.1 (17.7, 22.9)). High blood triglyceride (83.4 %) and abdominal obesity (74.5 %) were the predominant contributors to MtS. CONCLUSION: In this relatively young Vietnamese working population, 16 % had MtS with high triglyceride and abdominal obesity being the predominant contributors. These findings emphasize the need for developing effective high triglyceride and abdominal obesity prevention and control programs to curb the emerging epidemic of metabolic disorders in the workforce.

A framework for controllable Pareto front learning with completed scalarization functions and its applications.

Pareto Front Learning (PFL) was recently introduced as an efficient method for approximating the entire Pareto front, the set of all optimal solutions to a Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) problem. In the previous work, the mapping between a preference vector and a Pareto optimal solution is still ambiguous, rendering its results. This study demonstrates the convergence and completion aspects of solving MOO with pseudoconvex scalarization functions and combines them into Hypernetwork in order to offer a comprehensive framework for PFL, called Controllable Pareto Front Learning. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our approach is highly accurate and significantly less computationally expensive than prior methods in term of inference time.

A point-of-care urine test to predict adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in Asian women with suspected preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess clinical utility of the urine Congo red dot test (CRDT) in predicting composite adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with suspected preeclampsia (PE). METHODS: CRDT result and pregnancy outcomes were prospectively documented in women with new onset or pre-existing hypertension, new or pre-existing proteinuria, PE symptoms and suspected PE-related fetal growth restriction or abnormal Doppler presenting from 20 weeks' gestation between January 2020 and December 2022. Participants and clinicians were blinded to the CRDT result and managed according to internally agreed protocols. Composite maternal outcome was defined as PE, postpartum hemorrhage, intensive care unit admission, and maternal death. Composite neonatal outcome was defined as small for gestational age, preterm birth, 5-min Apgar score < 7, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and neonatal death. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-four women out of two hundred and fifty-one (97.2%) had a negative CRDT. All seven women with positive CRDT had both adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, giving positive predictive values (PPV) of 100%. Rates of composite adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in CDRT negative women were 103/244 [42.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 36.2%-48.5%] and 170/244 (69.7%, 95% CI 63.6%-75.1%), respectively. CRDT negative predictive values (NPV) for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes were, respectively, 141/244 (57.8%, 95% CI 48.6%-68.2%) and 74/244 (30.3%, 95% CI 23.8%-38.1%). CONCLUSION: CRDT had low NPV but high PPV for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with suspected PE. Its role in clinical management and triage of women with suspected PE is limited as it cannot identify those at low risk of developing adverse outcomes.

Antropo: An open-source platform to increase the anthropomorphism of the Franka Emika collaborative robot arm.

Robot-to-human communication is important for mutual understanding during human-robot collaboration. Most of the current collaborative robots (cobots) are designed with low levels of anthropomorphism. Therefore, the ability of cobots to express human-like communication is limited. In this work, we present an open-source platform named Antropo to increase the level of anthropomorphism of Franka Emika-a widely used collaborative robot arm. The Antropo platform includes three modules: a camera module for expressing eye gaze, a light module for visual feedback, and a sound module for acoustic feedback. These modules can be rapidly prototyped through 3D printers, laser-cutters, and off-the-shelf components available at a low cost. The Antropo platform can be easily installed on the Franka Emika robot. The added communication channels can be synchronised with the robot's motions to enhance mutual understanding. All hardware CAD design files and software files are released. The platform can be used to study human-like behaviours of cobots and the effects of these behaviours on different aspects of human-robot collaboration. We demonstrate the Antropo platform in an assembly task in which the Franka Emika robot expresses various human-like communicative behaviours via the added communication channels. We also present two industrial applications in which the Antropo platform was customised for the Universal Robots UR16e.

Cell membrane-based nanomaterials for therapeutics of neurodegenerative diseases.

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), glioblastoma (GBM), and peripheral nerve injury have been documented as incurable diseases, which lead to serious impacts on human health especially prevalent in the aging population worldwide. Most of the treatment strategies fail due to low efficacy, toxicity, and poor brain penetration. Recently, advancements in nanotechnology have helped alleviate the challenges associated with the application of cell membrane-based nanomaterials against CNS diseases. In the following review, the existing types of cell membrane-based nanomaterials systems which have improved therapeutic efficacy for CNS diseases would be described. A summary of recent progress in the incorporation of nanomaterials in cell membrane-based production, separation, and analysis will be provided. Addition to, challenges relate to large-scale manufacturing of cell membrane-based nanomaterials and future clinical trial of such platforms will be discussed.

Surveillance and treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (aka. STOP HCC): protocol for a prospective cohort study of high-risk patients for HCC using GALAD-score.

BACKGROUND: Vietnam and Saudi Arabia have high disease burden of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Early detection in asymptomatic patients at risk for HCC is a strategy to improve survival outcomes in HCC management. GALAD score, a serum-based panel, has demonstrated promising clinical utility in HCC management. However, in order to ascertain its potential role in the surveillance of the early detection of HCC, GALAD needs to be validated prospectively for clinical surveillance of HCC (i.e., phase IV biomarker validation study). Thus, we propose to conduct a phase IV biomarker validation study to prospectively survey a cohort of patients with advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis, irrespective of etiologies, using semi-annual abdominal ultrasound and GALAD score for five years. METHODS: We plan to recruit a cohort of 1,600 patients, male or female, with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis (i.e., F3 or F4) and MELD ≤ 15, in Vietnam and Saudi Arabia (n = 800 each). Individuals with a liver mass ≥ 1 cm in diameter, elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (≥ 9 ng/mL), and/or elevated GALAD score (≥ -0.63) will be scanned with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and a diagnosis of HCC will be made by Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LiRADS) assessment (LiRADS-5). Additionally, those who do not exhibit abnormal imaging findings, elevated AFP titer, and/or elevated GALAD score will obtain a dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI annually for five years to assess for HCC. Only MRI nearest to the time of GALAD score measurement, ultrasound and/or AFP evaluation will be included in the diagnostic validation analysis. MRI will be replaced with an abdominal computed tomography scan when MRI results are poor due to patient conditions such as movement etc. Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced MRI will not be carried out in study sites in both countries. Bootstrap resampling technique will be used to account for repeated measures to estimate standard errors and confidence intervals. Additionally, we will use the Cox proportional hazards regression model with covariates tailored to the hypothesis under investigation for time-to-HCC data as predicted by time-varying biomarker data. DISCUSSION: The present work will evaluate the performance of GALAD score in early detection of liver cancer. Furthermore, by leveraging the prospective cohort, we will establish a biorepository of longitudinally collected biospecimens from patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis to be used as a reference set for future research in early detection of HCC in the two countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Name of the registry: ClinicalTrials.gov Registration date: 22 April 2022 Trial registration number: NCT05342350 URL of trial registry record.

Distribution and 24-hour transition of SCAI shock stages and their association with 30-day mortality in acute myocardial infarction.

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) shock classification has been shown to predict mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, data on the transition of SCAI stages and their association with mortality after AMI are limited. All patients with AMI admitted to Vietnam National Heart Institute between August 2022 and February 2023 were classified into SCAI stages A, B, and C/D/E at admission and were reevaluated in 24 hours. We used Kaplan-Meier estimate and multivariable Cox regression analysis to assess the association between SCAI stages transition and 30-day mortality. We included 139 patients (median age 69 years, 29.5% female). On admission, 50.4%, 20.1%, and 29.5% of patients were classified as SCAI stage A, B, and C/D/E, respectively. The proportion of patients whose SCAI stage improved, remained stable, or worsened after 24 hours was 14.4%, 66.2%, and 19.4%, respectively. The 30-day mortality in patients with initial SCAI stages A, B, and C/D/E on admission was 2.9%, 21.4%, and 61.0%, respectively (P < .001). The 30-day mortality was 2.4% for patients with baseline SCAI stage A/B who remained unchanged or improved, 30.0% for patients with baseline SCAI stage C/D/E who remained unchanged or improved, and 92.6% for patients with SCAI stage B/C/D/E who worsened at 24 hours after admission (log-rank P < .001). In patients with AMI, evaluating the SCAI stage shock stage on admission and reevaluating after 24 hours added more information about 30-day mortality.

Miliutine A acid, a new cyclofarnesane sesquiterpene from the stems of Miliusa velutina.

Six compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the stems of Miliusa velutina, including miliutine A acid (1), a new cyclofarnesane sesquiterpenoid; miliutine B methyl ester (2), a cyclofarnesane sesquiterpenoid which was determined the absolute configuration for the first time and four known phenol derivatives (3-6). NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometry were used for identifying relative configurations. The assignments of the absolute configurations were determined based on Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) and NOESY spectra analysis. All six compounds were screened for their in vitro cytotoxic activities against HepG2 cell line using the SRB assay and they showed weak or none activities.