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Background Postoperative sleep disturbance and anxiety are common after cesarean delivery and may impair early maternal recovery and psychological well-being. Dexmedetomidine (DEX), a selective α₂-adrenergic agonist, provides sedative and anxiolytic effects that may confer perioperative benefits beyond hemodynamic stabilization. Methods This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 120 women (22–38 years, ASA physical status II) undergoing elective cesarean delivery under combined spinal–epidural anesthesia. Participants were categorized into DEX or control groups according to intraoperative dexmedetomidine administration. The primary outcome was postoperative sleep quality assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) on postoperative days 1–3. Secondary outcomes included anxiety evaluated by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), postoperative pain assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS), hemodynamic parameters, perioperative adverse events, and neonatal Apgar scores. Statistical analyses included independent-samples t tests, χ² tests, and repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results All 120 participants were included in the analysis (DEX: n  = 60; control: n  = 60), with comparable baseline characteristics between groups. Compared with controls, the DEX group demonstrated significantly lower PSQI and ESS scores across postoperative days 1–3 (day 1 PSQI: 4.88 ± 1.15 vs. 6.42 ± 1.21; ESS: 7.18 ± 1.64 vs. 9.32 ± 1.85; both P  < 0.001). Repeated-measures analysis confirmed significant group, time, and group-by-time interaction effects (all P  < 0.01). Anxiety levels decreased more prominently in the DEX group (48 h STAI: 34.85 ± 3.98 vs. 37.62 ± 4.16, P  = 0.002). Postoperative pain scores were consistently lower with DEX (VAS at 24 h: 2.68 ± 0.74 vs. 3.52 ± 0.79, P  < 0.001). Intraoperative hemodynamic variability was reduced in the DEX group for mean arterial pressure (Δ + 5.6 vs. +9.8 mmHg, P  < 0.001) and heart rate (7.8 vs. 12.1 bpm, P  < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in adverse events or neonatal Apgar scores. Improvement in anxiety was moderately associated with better postoperative sleep quality (β = 0.46, P  < 0.001). Conclusion Intraoperative dexmedetomidine administration was associated with improved short-term postoperative sleep quality, reduced anxiety, and enhanced hemodynamic stability without compromising maternal or neonatal safety in women undergoing cesarean delivery.

Background Stimuli-responsive polymer materials are a new kind of intelligent materials based on the concept of bionics, which exhibits more significant changes in physicochemical properties upon triggered by tiny environment stimuli, hence providing a good carrier platform for antitumor drug delivery. Results Dual stimuli-responsive Fe 3 O 4 graft poly(acrylic acid)- block -poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) block copolymers (Fe 3 O 4 - g -PAA- b -PMAEFC) were engineered and synthesized through a two-step sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization route. The characterization was performed by FTIR, 1 H NMR, SEC , XRD and TGA techniques. The self-assembly behavior in aqueous solution upon triggered by pH, magnetic and redox stimuli was investigated via zeta potentials, vibration sample magnetometer, cyclic voltammetry, fluorescent spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, XPS, TEM and SEM measurements. The experimental results indicated that the Fe 3 O 4 - g -PAA- b -PMAEFC copolymer materials could spontaneously assemble into hybrid magnetic copolymer micromicelles with core–shell structure, and exhibited superparamagnetism, redox and pH stimuli-responsive features. The hybrid copolymer micromicelles were stable and nontoxic, and could entrap hydrophobic anticancer drug, which was in turn swiftly and effectively delivered from the drug-loaded micromicelles at special microenvironments such as acidic pH and high reactive oxygen species. Conclusion This class of stimuli-responsive copolymer materials is expected to find wide applications in medical science and biology, etc., especially in drug delivery system.

Stimuli-responsive polymer materials are a new kind of intelligent materials based on the concept of bionics, which exhibits more significant changes in physicochemical properties upon triggered by tiny environment stimuli, hence providing a good carrier platform for antitumor drug delivery. Dual stimuli-responsive Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 graft poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) block copolymers (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4-g-PAA-b-PMAEFC) were engineered and synthesized through a two-step sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization route. The characterization was performed by FTIR, .sup.1H NMR, SEC, XRD and TGA techniques. The self-assembly behavior in aqueous solution upon triggered by pH, magnetic and redox stimuli was investigated via zeta potentials, vibration sample magnetometer, cyclic voltammetry, fluorescent spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, XPS, TEM and SEM measurements. The experimental results indicated that the Fe.sub.3O.sub.4-g-PAA-b-PMAEFC copolymer materials could spontaneously assemble into hybrid magnetic copolymer micromicelles with core-shell structure, and exhibited superparamagnetism, redox and pH stimuli-responsive features. The hybrid copolymer micromicelles were stable and nontoxic, and could entrap hydrophobic anticancer drug, which was in turn swiftly and effectively delivered from the drug-loaded micromicelles at special microenvironments such as acidic pH and high reactive oxygen species. This class of stimuli-responsive copolymer materials is expected to find wide applications in medical science and biology, etc., especially in drug delivery system.

Stimuli-responsive polymer materials are a new kind of intelligent materials based on the concept of bionics, which exhibits more significant changes in physicochemical properties upon triggered by tiny environment stimuli, hence providing a good carrier platform for antitumor drug delivery. Dual stimuli-responsive Fe O graft poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl ferrocenecarboxylate) block copolymers (Fe O -g-PAA-b-PMAEFC) were engineered and synthesized through a two-step sequential reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization route. The characterization was performed by FTIR, H NMR, SEC, XRD and TGA techniques. The self-assembly behavior in aqueous solution upon triggered by pH, magnetic and redox stimuli was investigated via zeta potentials, vibration sample magnetometer, cyclic voltammetry, fluorescent spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, XPS, TEM and SEM measurements. The experimental results indicated that the Fe O -g-PAA-b-PMAEFC copolymer materials could spontaneously assemble into hybrid magnetic copolymer micromicelles with core-shell structure, and exhibited superparamagnetism, redox and pH stimuli-responsive features. The hybrid copolymer micromicelles were stable and nontoxic, and could entrap hydrophobic anticancer drug, which was in turn swiftly and effectively delivered from the drug-loaded micromicelles at special microenvironments such as acidic pH and high reactive oxygen species. This class of stimuli-responsive copolymer materials is expected to find wide applications in medical science and biology, etc., especially in drug delivery system.

Crosslinking reactions of high density polyethylene with low peroxide concentrations ranging from 0.1 wt% to 1.0 wt% at temperatures of 170, 180 and 190 °C were monitored by rheological measurements. A critical gel forms at the peroxide concentration of 0.2 wt%, where the transition from long chain branching generation to crosslinking network formation could occur. Rheokinetics of crosslinking can be fitted well by Ding-Leonov’s model. The curing rate k2 at the earlier stage exhibits about 3 times acceleration per 10 °C with increasing temperature, while the equilibrium modulus G′ at the fully cured stage is almost independent of temperature. Influences of crosslinking on the subsequent crystallization behaviors were detected by DSC measurements. Above the critical gel concentration, crystallization is largely retarded as evidenced by the lower crystallization temperature Tc and crystallinity Xc due to the network formation. The secondary crystallization valley located at the temperature near 80 °C can be observed above the critical concentration, which becomes more evident with the increasing peroxide concentration and curing temperature. This phenomenon provides another evidence of crystallization retardation by the crosslinking network.

We explore neurodevelopmental heterogeneity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through normative modeling of cross-cultural cohorts. By leveraging large-scale datasets from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) and China Autism Brain Imaging Consortium (CABIC), our model identifies two ASD subgroups with distinct brain morphological abnormalities: subgroup “L” is characterized by generally smaller brain region volumes and higher rates of abnormality, while subgroup “H” exhibits larger volumes with less pronounced deviations in specific areas. Key areas, such as the isthmus cingulate and transverse temporal gyrus, were identified as critical for subgroup differentiation and ASD trait correlations. In subgroup H, the regional volume of the isthmus cingulate cortex showed a direct correlation with individuals’ autistic mannerisms, potentially corresponding to its slower post-peak volumetric declines during development. These findings offer insights into the biological mechanisms underlying ASD and support the advancement of subgroup-driven precision clinical practices. Using the lifespan brain chart and two large-scale cross-cultural consortia (ABIDE and CABIC), we disentangle the heterogeneity of brain morphology in ASD into two structural impairment pathways that could disrupt sensory to association functions.

Cholestatic liver diseases are important causes of liver cirrhosis and liver transplantation, but few drugs are available for treatment. D-chiro-inositol （DCI）, an isomer of inositol found in many Leguminosae plants and in animal viscera, is used clinically for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） and diabetes mellitus. In this study, we investigated whether DCI exerted an anti-cholestatic effect and its underlying mechanisms. A cholestatic rat model was established via bile duct ligation （BDL）. After the surgery, the rats were given DCl （150 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） in drinking water for 2 weeks. Oral administration of DCI significantly decreased the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST）, and attenuated bile duct proliferation, parenchymal necrosis and fibrosis in BDL rats. Furthermore, DCI treatment significantly increased the serum and bile levels of total bite acid （TBA）, and decreased TBA levels in the liver. Moreover, DCl treatment significantly increased expression of the genes encoding bile acid transporters BSEP （Abcb11） and MRP2 （Abcc2） in liver tissues. DCI treatment also markedly decreased hepatic CD68 and NF-kappaB （NF-KB） levels, significantly decreased the serum and hepatic MDA levels, markedly increased superoxide dismutase activity in both serum and liver tissues. Using whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray, we revealed that DCl treatment altered the expression profiles of oxidation reduction-related genes in liver tissues. Collectively, DCl effectively attenuates BDL-induced hepatic bile acid accumulation and decreases the severity of injury and fibrosis by improving bile acid secretion, repressing inflammation and decreasing oxidative stress. The results suggest that DCl might be beneficial for patients with cholestatic disorders.

We propose a scheme to manipulate a topological spin qubit which is realized with cold atoms in a one-dimensional optical lattice.In particular, by introducing a quantum opto-electro-mechanical interface, we are able to first transfer a superconducting qubit state to an atomic qubit state and then to store it into the topological spin qubit. In this way, an efficient topological quantum memory could be constructed for the superconducting qubit. Therefore, we can consolidate the advantages of both the noise resistance of the topological qubits and the scalability of the superconducting qubits in this hybrid architecture.

Bone morphogenetic proteins（BMPs） play a critical role in the growth and steroidogenesis of granulosa cells（GCs）.BMP signals act through membrane-bound heteromeric serine/threonine kinase receptors.Upon ligand binding,BMPs activate intracellular Smad proteins and regulate growth and apoptosis in various cell types.The objective of this study was to demonstrate the effects of BMP/Smad signal on growth and steroidogenesis of porcine GCs.A strategy of RNA interference（RNAi）-mediated ＇gene silencing＇ of Smad4,a core molecule mediating the intracellular BMP/Smad signal transduction pathways,was used to interrupt endogenous BMP/Smad signaling.Results indicate that Smad4-small interfering RNA（siRNA） caused specific inhibition of Smad4 mRNA and protein expression after transfection.Interrupted endogenous BMP/Smad signaling significantly inhibited growth,and induced apoptosis of porcine GCs,while decreasing estradiol production.In addition,interrupted BMP/Smad signaling significantly（P0.05） changed the expression of Cyclin D2,CDK4,Bcl-2,and Cyp19a1.These findings provide new insights into how BMP/Smad signaling regulates the growth and steroidogenesis of porcine GCs.

Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA （ADARs） are involved in adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing and are implicated in development and diseases. Here we observed that ADAR1 deficiency in human embryonic stem cells （hESCs） significantly affected hESC differentiation and neural induction with widespread changes in mRNA and miRNA ex- pression, including upregulation of self-renewal-related miRNAs, such as miR302s. Global editing analyses revealed that ADAR1 editing activity contributes little to the altered miRNA/mRNA expression in ADARl-deficient hESCs upon neural induction. Genome-wide iCLIP studies identified that ADAR1 binds directly to pri-miRNAs to interfere with miRNA processing by acting as an RNA-binding protein. Importantly, aberrant expression of miRNAs and phe- notypes observed in ADARl-depleted hESCs upon neural differentiation could be reversed by an enzymatieally inactive ADAR1 mutant, but not by the RNA-binding-null ADAR1 mutant. These findings reveal that ADAR1, but not its editing activity, is critical for hESC differentiation and neural induction by regulating miRNA biogenesis via direct RNA interaction.