The mediating role of maternal inflammation on associations between first-trimester plasticizer exposure and personal-social and language in infants.

Background: Maternal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) or phthalates (PAEs) increases inflammation and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. However, limited epidemiological studies have examined the neurodevelopmental effects of co-exposure to them during the first trimester on offspring and their inflammatory mechanism. This study investigates how maternal inflammation mediates the relationship between first-trimester co-exposure to BPA and PAEs and infant neurodevelopment.

Scalable Impregnation Method for Preparing a Self-Assembled Monolayer in High-Performance Vapor-Deposited Lead-Halide Perovskite Solar Cells.

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of inverted lead-halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) via vapor deposition has undergone significant enhancement through the incorporation of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) serving as the hole transport layer. To achieve high-performance PSCs, the SAM layer needs to maintain a dense and high-coverage configuration during the fabrication process. Our investigation revealed that during solid-vapor reaction, conditions of high temperature and low pressure can potentially lead to the migration of SAM molecules, particularly those adsorbed on the surface but have not yet formed covalent bonds.

Regulating the Crystallization and Morphology of PbI Precursor Films for the Growth of High-Quality Perovskite Films via Vapor-Solid Reaction.

Developing vapor-solid reaction methods to prepare organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite thin films is highly compatible with processes in crystalline silicon solar cells and the thin-film photovoltaic industries, facilitating rapid industrialization. In the vapor-solid reaction, the crystallization quality of perovskite thin films is widely influenced by the crystallinity and microstructure of lead iodide (PbI) precursor films. During the thermal evaporation process of preparing the PbI precursor films, we observed that PbI tends to develop a disordered surface morphology and exhibits high crystallinity, which significantly hinders the uniform diffusion of the organic amine salt vapor during the subsequent vapor-solid reaction.

Vapor-Solid Reaction Techniques for the Growth of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Thin Films.

Perovskite solar cells are considered next-generation photovoltaic technology due to their remarkable advancements in power conversion efficiency. To transition this technology from the lab to industry, the method for preparing perovskite thin films must support mass production. Currently, the solution-based slot-die technique is the primary method for depositing large-area perovskite thin films.

Associations between phthalate metabolites and body composition in children aged 8-19 years.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between individual and combined phthalate metabolites and body composition in children and adolescents using data from the 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Single-exposure analysis indicated that most phthalate metabolites were negatively correlated with areal bone mineral density (aBMD). Quantile g-computation demonstrated a negative relationship between the mixture of phthalate metabolites and aBMD, which was confirmed by the Bayesian kernel machine regression model.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure in early pregnancy on child neurodevelopment.

The epidemiological evidence from studies on the impact of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during pregnancy on child neurodevelopment is inconclusive. This study aimed to assess the associations of PAHs exposure in early pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children aged 6-12 months in a prospective cohort. In this study, we included 172 mother-child pairs with complete data in Tianjin City, China.

Enhanced Buried Interface Engineering for Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells Fabricated via Vapor-Solid Reaction.

Vapor-deposited inverted perovskite solar cells utilizing self-assembled monolayer (SAM) as hole transport material have gained significant attention for their high efficiencies and compatibility with silicon/perovskite monolithic tandem devices. However, as a small molecule, the SAM layer suffers low thermal tolerance in comparison with other metal oxide or polymers, rendering poor efficiency in solar device with high-temperature (> 160 °C) fabricating procedures. In this study, a dual modification approach involving AlO and F-doped phenyltrimethylammonium bromide (F-PTABr) layers is introduced to enhance the buried interface.

Negative impact of maternal depressive symptoms on infancy neurodevelopment: a moderated mediation effect of maternal inflammation.

Maternal depression promotes maternal inflammation and the risk of neurodevelopmental disorder in offspring, but the role of inflammation on the association between depression and neurodevelopment in offspring has not been extensively studied in humans. This study aims to examine the mediating role of maternal inflammation on the relationship between maternal depression and neurodevelopment in infants. 146 mother-child pairs were identified from Tianjin Maternal and Child Health Education and Service Cohort (Tianjin MCHESC).

Impaired motor and social skill development in infancy predict high autistic traits in toddlerhood.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Early diagnosis in the critical period is important for ASD children. Recent studies of neurodevelopmental behavioral features and joint attention in high-risk infants showed there are some special cues which can distinguish ASD from typical development infant.

Associations of maternal sleep trajectories during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: Sleep problems are common in pregnant women and sleep is altered during pregnancy. However, the associations between sleep trajectory patterns and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes are unclear. The current study aims to identify sleep trajectory patterns and explore their associations with adverse perinatal outcomes in a prospective cohort study.

Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentration is different between autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability children and adolescents.

Purpose: Recent studies showed that mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF) and its precursor proBDNF are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Whether their levels are different between ASD and intellectual disability (ID) subjects is not clear. The aim of this study is to compare the serum mBDNF and proBDNF concentration, and mBNDF/proBDNF ratio in ASD and ID volunteers.

Exposure to phthalates and their alternatives in relation to biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adults: evidence from NHANES 2017-2018.

Phthalates and their alternatives are considered significant environmental risk factors that potentially influence inflammation and oxidative stress. However, their impact on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress was inconsistent. This study aimed to explore the associations between phthalates and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and white blood cell (WBC) counts, employing both univariate exposure and multivariate co-exposure models.

BMI-specific inflammatory response to phthalate exposure in early pregnancy: findings from the TMCHESC study.

Studies that have evaluated associations between phthalate metabolites and inflammation have reported inconsistent results among pregnant women, and it is unclear how body mass index (BMI) affects such relationships. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the association between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and the levels of inflammatory biomarkers in the general circulation among 394 pregnant women selected from the Tianjin Maternal and Child Health Education and Service Cohort (TMCHESC) and to determine the role that BMI plays in the relationship. The concentrations of eight inflammatory biomarkers and three phthalate metabolites were measured in serum and urine samples, respectively.

Effect of Circadian Distribution of Energy and Macronutrients on Gestational Weight Gain in Chinese Pregnant Women.

Gestational weight gain (GWG) may be affected by the timing of dietary intake. Previous studies have reported contradictory findings, possibly due to inconsistent characterizations of meal timing. We conducted a birth cohort study in Tianjin to determine the effect of daily energy and macronutrient distribution in mid and late pregnancy on GWG.

High-Quality Recrystallization of Amorphous Silicon on Si (100) Induced via Laser Annealing at the Nanoscale.

At sub-3 nm nodes, the scaling of lateral devices represented by a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) and gate-all-around field effect transistors (GAAFET) faces increasing technical challenges. At the same time, the development of vertical devices in the three-dimensional direction has excellent potential for scaling. However, existing vertical devices face two technical challenges: "self-alignment of gate and channel" and "precise gate length control".

Classification of Epileptic and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Using Electroencephalography and Electrocardiography.

Patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) may exhibit similar clinical features to patients with epileptic seizures (ES). Misdiagnosis of PNES and ES can lead to inappropriate treatment and significant morbidity. This study investigates the use of machine learning techniques for classification of PNES and ES based on electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) data.

Forecasting seizure likelihood from cycles of self-reported events and heart rate: a prospective pilot study.

Background: Seizure risk forecasting could reduce injuries and even deaths in people with epilepsy. There is great interest in using non-invasive wearable devices to generate forecasts of seizure risk. Forecasts based on cycles of epileptic activity, seizure times or heart rate have provided promising forecasting results.

Relationship between the Dietary Inflammatory Index Score and Cytokine Levels in Chinese Pregnant Women during the Second and Third Trimesters.

The impact of dietary inflammatory potential on serum cytokine concentrations in second and third trimesters of Chinese pregnant women is not clear. A total of 175 pregnant women from the Tianjin Maternal and Child Health Education and Service Cohort (TMCHESC) were included. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) was calculated based on 24-h food records.

Mussel-inspired polymeric coatings with the antifouling efficacy controlled by topologies.

Block copolymers with different topologies (linear, loop, 3-armed and 4-armed polymers) containing poly(-vinylpyrrrolidone) (PVP) antifouling blocks and terminal poly(dopamine-acrylamide) (PDAA) anchoring blocks were synthesized. These polymers can form a robust antifouling nanolayer on various surfaces. The morphologies of the polymer-modified surfaces are strongly dependent on the topologies of the polymers: with the increase of arm numbers, the morphology evolves from the smooth surface to the nanoscale coarse surface.

Forecasting psychogenic non-epileptic seizure likelihood from ambulatory EEG and ECG.

Critical slowing features (variance and autocorrelation) of long-term continuous electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) data have previously been used to forecast epileptic seizure onset. This study tested the feasibility of forecasting non-epileptic seizures using the same methods. In doing so, we examined if long-term cycles of brain and cardiac activity are present in clinical physiological recordings of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).

Diagnostic model for predicting hyperuricemia based on alterations of the gut microbiome in individuals with different serum uric acid levels.

Background: We aimed to assess the differences in the gut microbiome among participants with different uric acid levels (hyperuricemia [HUA] patients, low serum uric acid [LSU] patients, and controls with normal levels) and to develop a model to predict HUA based on microbial biomarkers.

Methods: We sequenced the V3-V4 variable region of the 16S rDNA gene in 168 fecal samples from HUA patients (n=50), LSU patients (n=61), and controls (n=57). We then analyzed the differences in the gut microbiome between these groups.

Association of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites with symptoms among autistic children: A case-control study in Tianjin, China.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous pollutants that are associated with altered neurodevelopment and various neurodevelopmental disorders. However, studies evaluating internal biomarkers of PAH exposure in reference to the severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomology and autistic behaviors are scarce. Hence, we conducted a case-control study evaluating 12 urinary hydroxylated PAH metabolites (i.

Exploring associations between urine levels of phthalates and autism spectrum disorder symptoms: a case-control study in Tianjin, China.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a group of neurodevelopmental disorders. The etiology of autism remains unclear, but a growing body of evidence indicates that phthalates play a role in its pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to compare the urine levels of phthalates in children with ASD and healthy children.

Nanometer-Thick ZnO/SnO Heterostructures Grown on Alumina for HS Sensing.

Designing heterostructure materials at the nanoscale is a well-known method to enhance gas sensing performance. In this study, a mixed solution of zinc chloride and tin (II) chloride dihydrate, dissolved in ethanol solvent, was used as the initial precursor for depositing the sensing layer on alumina substrates using the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) method. Several ZnO/SnO heterostructures were grown by applying different ratios in the initial precursors.