Prenatal metal(loid) exposure and preterm birth: a systematic review of the epidemiologic evidence
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Positive impact of sodium L-lactate supplementation on blood acid-base status in preterm newborns
Preclinical studies indicate that lactate is a crucial cerebral energy substrate, with Na-L-lactate administration significantly reducing brain lesion volumes and improving motor and cognitive functions following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia in rat pups. Its neuroprotective effects are linked to neuronal metabolic utilization, making it a promising candidate for treating newborns with hypoxia-ischemia encephalopathy, a condition where hypothermia remains the only established therapy. However, before initiating a clinical trial, it is necessary to assess the effects of Na-L-lactate infusion on blood parameters.
Perspectives of soil nanoremediation: the case of nano zerovalent iron and metal(loid) contaminants
The use of nano zero-valent iron in environmental remediation has gained much attention in the last two decades. While these engineered nanoparticles have been successfully used in groundwater remediation, their potential in soil remediation remains limited, mainly due to the associated higher costs and comparable efficiency when compared to conventional iron-based materials, e.g., iron grit. Additionally, there is still a limited number of studies describing their efficiency under field conditions, possible toxicological issues, including toxicity to humans, LCA of the technology, and its economic viability in general. This perspective article aims to describe the mechanisms behind this technology and critically review the potentials and drawbacks of nZVI use in the remediation of soil contaminated with metals and metalloids as its potential for its widespread use in soil remediation is probably still limited.
Prenatal exposure to undernutrition is associated with a specific lipid profile predicting future brain aging
Prenatal adversity affects cognitive and brain aging. Both lipid and leptin concentrations may be involved. We investigated if prenatal undernutrition is associated with a specific blood lipid profile and/or leptin concentrations, and if these relate to cognitive function and brain aging. 801 plasma samples of members of the Dutch famine birth cohort were assessed for lipidomics and leptin at age 58. Cognitive performance was measured with a Stroop task at 58, and MRI-based BrainAGE was derived in a subsample at 68. Out of 259 lipid signals, a signature of five identified individuals who were undernourished prenatally. These five lipids were not associated with cognitive performance, but three were predictive of BrainAGE. Leptin was not associated with prenatal famine exposure, Stroop performance, or BrainAGE. In conclusion, prenatal undernutrition was associated with an altered lipid profile predictive of BrainAGE 10 years later, demonstrating the potential of lipid profiles as early biomarkers for accelerated brain aging.
Iterative printing of bulk metal and polymer for additive manufacturing of multi-layer electronic circuits
In pursuing advancing additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for 3D objects, this study combines AM techniques for bulk metal and polymer on a single platform for one-stop printing of multilayer 3D electronic circuits with two novel aspects. The first innovation involves the embedded integration of electronic circuits by printing low-resistance electrical traces from bulk metal into polymer channels. Cross-section grinding results reveal (92 ± 5)% occupancy of electrically conductive traces in polymer channels despite the different thermal properties of the two materials. The second aspect encompasses the possibility of printing vertical bulk metal vias up to 10 mm in height with the potential for expansion, interconnecting electrically conductive traces embedded in different layers of the 3D object. The work provides comprehensive 3D printing design guidelines for successfully integrating fully embedded electrically conductive traces and the interconnecting vertical bulk metal vias. A smooth and continuous workflow is also introduced, enabling a single-run print of functional multilayer embedded 3D electronics. The design rules and the workflow facilitate the iterative printing of two distinct materials, each defined by unique printing temperatures and techniques. Observations indicate that conductive traces using molten metal microdroplets show a 12-fold reduction in resistance compared to nanoparticle ink-based methods, meaning this technique greatly complements multi-material additive manufacturing (MM-AM). The work presents insights into the behavior of molten metal microdroplets on a polymer substrate when printed through the MM-AM process. It explores their characteristics in two scenarios: When they are deposited side-by-side to form conductive traces and when they are deposited out-of-plane to create vertical bulk metal vias. The innovative application of MM-AM to produce multilayer embedded 3D electronics with bulk metal and polymer demonstrates significant potential for realizing the fabrication of free-form 3D electronics.
Association and shared biological bases between birth weight and cortical structure
Associations between birth weight and cortical structural phenotypes have been detected; however, the understanding is incomprehensive, and the potential biological bases are not well defined. Leveraging data from genome-wide association studies, we investigated the associations and the shared transcriptomic, proteomic and cellular bases of birth weight and 13 cortical structural phenotypes. Mendelian randomization analyses were performed to examine associations between birth weight and cortical structure. Downstream transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS), proteome-wide association study (PWAS) and summary-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) analyses were utilized to identify the shared cis-regulated gene expressions and proteins. Finally, cell-type expression-specific integration for complex traits (CELLECT) analyses were conducted to explore the enriched cell types. The Mendelian randomization analyses found positive associations between birth weight and global cortical folding index, intrinsic curvature index, local gyrification index, surface area and volume. Downstream transcriptomic-level TWAS and SMR identified three gene expressions both linked to birth weight and at least one cortical structural phenotype (CNNM2, RABGAP1 and CENPW). Parallel PWAS and SMR analyses at the proteomic level identified four proteins linked to both phenotypes (CNNM2, RAB7L1, RAB5B and PPA2), of which CNNM2 was replicated. CELLECT analyses revealed brain cell types enriched in birth weight, including pericytes, inhibitory GABAergic neurons and cerebrovascular cells. These findings support the importance of early life growth to cortical structure, and suggest underlying transcriptomic, proteomic and cellular bases. These results provide intriguing targets for further research into the mechanisms of cortical development.
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