Cardio-facial-cutaneous syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that typically presents with a combination of CHDs, distinctive facial features, and cutaneous abnormalities. Cardio-facial-cutaneous syndrome is usually caused by a genetic change in the BRAF gene but can also be due to genetic change in the MAP2K1, MAP2K2, or KRAS genes. It is an autosomal dominant condition, but most cases are not inherited, due to new genetic change that occurs in the formation of the egg or sperm or shortly after fertilisation. It has been seen previously in the literature where the patient required a mitral valve replacement because of insufficiency. In this case report, we describe a patient with cardio-facial-cutaneous syndrome who also presented with mitral valve prolapse. This rare association expands the spectrum of cardiovascular manifestations in cardio-facial-cutaneous syndrome and highlights the importance of comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation in these patients.

We define and study a notion of G-dimension for DG-modules over a non-positively graded commutative noetherian DG-ring A. Some criteria for the finiteness of the G-dimension of a DG-module are given by applying a DG-version of projective resolution introduced by Minamoto [Israel J. Math. 245 (2021) 409-454]. Moreover, it is proved that the finiteness of G-dimension characterizes the local Gorenstein property of A. Applications go in three directions. The first is to establish the connection between G-dimensions and the little finitistic dimensions of A. The second is to characterize Cohen-Macaulay and Gorenstein DG-rings by the relations between the class of maximal local-Cohen-Macaulay DG-modules and a special G-class of DG-modules. The third is to extend the classical Buchweitz-Happel Theorem and its inverse from commutative noetherian local rings to the setting of commutative noetherian local DG-rings. Our method is somewhat different from classical commutative ring.

Maternal diabetes, a common pregnancy complication, has long-term implications for both mother and offspring. While the developmental origins of metabolic health from prenatal diabetes exposure are well known, cognitive consequences in offspring are still being explored. The timing of hyperglycemia during pregnancy that most affects cognitive development and whether these effects persist into adulthood remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the association between trimester-specific hyperglycemia exposure and adult cognition in the offspring of women with pregestational diabetes. The Transgenerational Effect on Adult Morbidity (TEAM) Study evaluated health outcomes in young adult offspring of mothers with pregestational diabetes who participated in a Diabetes in Pregnancy Program Project Grant (PPG) at the University of Cincinnati (1978–1995). The TEAM Study visit (March 2018 - August 2022) included a comprehensive clinical examination and cognitive assessment (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence – II). Linear regression estimated the association between prenatal hyperglycemia and offspring’s perceptual reasoning and verbal comprehension. The mean age at follow-up was 32.1 years. Hyperglycemia during pregnancy was inversely associated with cognitive measures, controlling for confounders including maternal education and pre-pregnancy obesity. Higher glycohemoglobin in the second and third trimesters was significantly linked to lower IQ scores, matrix reasoning, and vocabulary subtest scores. Third-trimester hyperglycemia was also associated with lower block design subtest scores. In summary, hyperglycemia, particularly in the latter half of pregnancy, was associated with lower cognitive ability in adult offspring of women with pre-pregnancy pregestational diabetes.

Antenatal corticosteroids are given to pregnant people at risk of preterm birth to reduce newborn morbidity, including respiratory distress syndrome. However, there has been concern surrounding potential adverse effects on subsequent generations. Animal studies have demonstrated endocrine and metabolic changes in those exposed to corticosteroids in utero (F1) and in the second generation (F2). We aimed to assess the effects of parental antenatal corticosteroid exposure on health of the second generation (F2) of Auckland Steroid Trial (AST) participants. In the AST, women (F0) expected to birth between 24 and 36 weeks’ gestation were randomised to betamethasone or placebo. When their children (F1) were 50 years old, they and their children (F2) were followed up with a self-report questionnaire and data linkage. The primary outcome for this analysis was body mass index (BMI) z-score in the F2 generation. Secondary outcomes included respiratory, cardiovascular, neurodevelopmental, mental and general health, and social outcomes. Of the 213 F2 participants, 144 had BMI data available. There was no difference in BMI z-score between participants whose parent was exposed to betamethasone versus placebo (mean (SD) 0.63 (1.45), N = 77 vs 0.41 (1.28), N = 67, adjusted mean difference (95% confidence interval) = 0.16 (-0.37, 0.69)). There was no evidence of a difference in rates of overweight, diabetes, respiratory disease, cardiometabolic risk factors, neurodevelopmental difficulties, mental health difficulties and social outcomes between parental betamethasone versus placebo exposure groups, but confidence intervals were wide. These findings are reassuring regarding the intergenerational safety of antenatal corticosteroids.

Maternal mental health represents a significant global health burden, not only in terms of maternal wellbeing, but also for the impact it has on child development. The relationship between maternal mental health and deleterious environmental exposures to the fetus is one mechanism of risk transmission. This study utilizes network analysis to a) explore how maternal mental health is associated with a wide array of fetal exposures, and b) examine how these exposures cluster together. A total of 485 pregnant women were recruited from the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne, Australia between 2011–2017, as part of the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study (MPEWS). The MPEWS includes measures of mental health diagnosis and symptoms, psychotropic medication, smoking, alcohol, substance use, and a wide range of lifestyle factors in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Regularized Partial Correlation Modelling was used to examine the network of relationships between maternal mental health and fetal exposures due to environmental factors, lifestyle and medications. For women diagnosed with mental health disorders there are relatively higher rates of exposure to smoking, anxiety and depression symptoms, psychotropic medications, pregnancy health conditions and less than optimal lifestyle factors. Factors such as physical exercise and folate supplementation show strong patterns of partial correlation. Trait anxiety emerged as the central variable in the network with the highest strength of relationship to all other exposure variables. The current study shows the value of approaching fetal exposures as a complex network of associated aspects of maternal lifestyle, mental health and environment. Viewing exposures together may assist clinical and public health interventions to target multiple associated risk factors, rather than the current focus on individual exposures. The preconception and perinatal periods offer important opportunities for the prevention of teratogenic fetal exposures and the promotion of a healthy start to life.

American silk moth, Antheraea polyphemus Cramer 1775 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), native to North America, has potential significance in sericulture for food consumption and silk production. To date, the phylogenetic relationship and divergence time of A. polyphemus with its Asian relatives remain unknown. To end these issues, two mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of A. polyphemus from the USA and Canada respectively were determined. The mitogenomes of A. polyphemus from the USA and Canada were 15,346 and 15,345 bp in size, respectively, with only two transitions and five indels. The two mitogenomes both encoded typical mitochondrial 37 genes. No tandem repeat elements were identified in the A+T-rich region of A. polyphemus. The mitogenome-based phylogenetic analyses supported the placement of A. polyphemus within the genus Antheraea, and revealed the presence of two clades for eight Antheraea species used: one included A. polyphemus, A. assamensis Helfer, A. formosana Sonan and the other contained A. mylitta Drury, A. frithi Bouvier, A. yamamai Guérin-Méneville, A. proylei Jolly, and A. pernyi Guérin-Méneville. Mitogenome-based divergence time estimation further suggested that the dispersal of A. polyphemus from Asia into North America might have occurred during the Miocene Epoch (18.18 million years ago) across the Berling land bridge. This study reports the mitogenome of A. polyphemus that provides new insights into the phylogenetic relationship among Antheraea species and the origin of A. polyphemus.

The savannah–forest mosaic of the Rupununi region of Guyana is a dispersal corridor between large tracts of intact Guiana Shield forests and a subsistence hunting ground for Indigenous Makushi and Wapichan communities. We conducted a camera-trap survey at 199 sites across four major forested habitat types and used multi-species occupancy modelling to determine regional-scale drivers of mammalian occupancy at both species and community levels, accounting for imperfect detection. We detected 47 savannah- and forest-dwelling mammal species, with the occupancy of medium- and large-bodied terrestrial mammal species (community occupancy) positively related to per cent forest cover and negatively to the presence of gallery forest habitat. The occupancy of 15 of 30 species was positively related to forest cover, suggesting the importance of maintaining forested habitat within the broader mosaic comprising savannahs and intermediate habitats for sustaining maximum mammal diversity. Jaguar Panthera onca occupancy was associated with the presence of livestock, and giant anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla occupancy was negatively associated with distance to the nearest road, both results of concern in relation to potential human–wildlife conflict. The probability of detecting terrestrial mammal species (community detectability) increased away from villages, as did the detectability of two large-bodied, hunted species, the lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris and collared peccary Pecari tajacu, potentially indicating the negative effects of subsistence and commercial hunting in this savannah mosaic habitat. We use our findings to discuss how management strategies for hunting, fire, timber harvest and agriculture within Indigenous titled lands could help ensure the sustainability of these traditional livelihood activities.

The heating effect of electromagnetic waves in ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRFs) in magnetic confinement fusion device is different in different plasma conditions. In order to evaluate the ICRF heating effect in different plasma conditions, we conducted a series of experiments and corresponding TRANSP simulations on the EAST tokamak. Both simulation and experimental results show that the effect of ICRF heating is poor at low core electron density. The decrease in electron density changes the left-handed electric field near the resonant layer, resulting in a significant decrease in the power absorbed by the hydrogen fundamental resonance. However, quite a few experiments must be performed in plasma conditions with low electron density. It is necessary to study how to make ICRF heating best in low electron density plasma. Through a series of simulation scans of the parallel refractive index (n//) of the ICRF antenna, it is concluded that the change of the ICRF antenna n// will lead to the change of the left-handed electric field, which will change the fundamental absorption of ICRF power by the hydrogen minority ions. Fully considering the coupling of ion cyclotron wave at the tokamak boundary and the absorption in the plasma core, optimizing the ICRF antenna structure and selecting appropriate parameters such as parallel refractive index, minority ion concentration, resonance layer position, plasma current and core electron temperature can ensure better heating effect in the ICRF heating experiments in the future EAST upgrade. These results have important implications for the enhancement of the auxiliary heating effect of EAST and other tokamaks.

The Connecting People and Community for Living Well initiative recognizes that communities, specifically multisector community teams, are a critical part of the provision of programs and supports for those affected by dementia. Effective collaboration and building and supporting the collective well-being of these multisector community teams is key to their success and sustainability. This research sought to understand what supports the well-being of community teams. Focus groups were conducted with multisector community teams who support those impacted by dementia from across four rural communities. The research team used thematic analysis to identify patterns emerging within and across focus groups. The findings highlighted three areas of importance: the need for a resource to support teams to measure, monitor, and describe the impact of their actions; ongoing support from a system-level team; and the development of local and/or provincial policy and infrastructure that supports sustaining collaborative community-based work.

The human hand’s exceptional dexterity and compliance, derived from its rigid-soft coupling structure and tendon-driven interphalangeal coordination, inspire robotic grippers capable of versatile grasping and force adaptation. Traditional rigid manipulators lack compliance for delicate tasks, while soft robots often suffer from instability and low load capacity. To bridge this gap, we propose a biomimetic multi-joint composite finger integrating a 3D-printed rigid phalanges (46–51 mm) with dual fabric-reinforced pneumatic bladders, mimicking human finger biomechanics. This hybrid design combines hinge-jointed rigidity and anisotropic fabric constraints, enabling two rotational degrees of freedom with higher radial stiffness, achieving 2.18× higher critical burst pressure (240 kPa) than non-reinforced bladders, while preserving axial compliance. Experimental validation demonstrates a 4.77 N maximum fingertip force at 200 kPa and rapid recovery (< 2s) post-impact. The composite finger exhibits human-like gestures (enveloping, pinching, flipping) and adapts to irregular/fragile objects (e.g., eggs, screws) through coordinated bladder actuation. Assembled into a modular gripper, it sustains 1 kg payloads and executes thin-object flipping via proximal-distal joint synergy. This rigid-soft coupling design bridges compliance and robustness, offering high environmental adaptability for applications in industrial automation, human–robot interaction, and delicate manipulation.