STUDY QUESTION Does administration of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) in the first trimester improve pregnancy outcomes, among women with a history of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss? SUMMARY ANSWER rhG-CSF administered in the first trimester of pregnancy did not improve outcomes among women with a history of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The only previous randomized controlled study of granulocyte colony stimulating factor in recurrent miscarriage in 68 women with unexplained primary recurrent miscarriage found a statistically significant reduction in miscarriage and improvement in live birth rates. A further four observational studies where G-CSF was used in a recurrent miscarriage population were identified in the literature, two of which confirmed statistically significant increase in clinical pregnancy and live birth rates. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial involving 150 women with a history of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss was conducted at 21 sites with established recurrent miscarriage clinics in the United Kingdom between 23 June 2014 and 05 June 2016. The study was coordinated by University of Birmingham, UK. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS One hundred and fifty women with a history of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss: 76 were randomized to rhG-CSF and 74 to placebo. Daily subcutaneous injections of recombinant human granulocyte – colony stimulating factor 130 μg or identical appearing placebo from as early as three to five weeks of gestation for a maximum of 9 weeks. The trial used central randomization with allocation concealment. The primary outcome was clinical pregnancy at 20 weeks of gestation, as demonstrated by an ultrasound scan. Secondary outcomes included miscarriages, livebirth, adverse events, stillbirth, neonatal birth weight, changes in clinical laboratory variables following study drug exposure, major congenital anomalies, preterm births and incidence of anti-drug antibody formation. Analysis was by intention to treat. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 340 participants were screened for eligibility of which 150 women were randomized. 76 women (median age, 32[IQR, 29–34] years; mean BMI, 26.3[SD, 4.2]) and 74 women (median age, 31[IQR, 26–33] years; mean BMI, 25.8[SD, 4.2]) were randomized to placebo. All women were followed-up to primary outcome, and beyond to live birth. The clinical pregnancy rate at 20 weeks, as well as the live birth rate, was 59.2% (45/76) in the rhG-CSF group, and 64.9% (48/74) in the placebo group, giving a relative risk of 0.9 (95% CI: 0.7–1.2; P = 0.48). There was no evidence of a significant difference between the groups for any of the secondary outcomes. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 52 (68.4%) par...

Interfacial tension data and models are of great importance to the storage of CO2 in deep saline aquifers. In this study, the pendant-drop method combined with axisymmetric drop shape analysis was used in the interpretation of the interfacial behavior of CO2 and brine. Extensive experimental measurements of the interfacial tension between CO2 and an NaCl solution were acquired for pressures ranging from 3.0 to 12.0 MPa, temperatures from 300 to 353 K, and NaCl molalities from 0 to 1.8 mol·kg–1, for a total of 1,254 valid data points. All experiments were conducted in a pressure cell fitted with a capillary tube to create pendant droplets in a CO2-rich atmosphere. The experimental results indicated that interfacial tension decreased with increasing pressure and increased with temperature and salinity. As pressure increased to a certain point, the interfacial tension reached a plateau. At a given temperature, the CO2–aqueous system reached a plateau for different salinities under nearly the same pressure. However, the plateau pressure increased with temperature. The plateau interfacial tension value slightly increased with temperature and salinity. We also found a linear relationship between the change in interfacial tension and the molality concentration of brine. An empirical model was also proposed based on the Parachor model for the prediction of interfacial tension. Most results of this model deviated by less than ±5% from our experimental results, indicating that the model was a good fit to our experiments.

A rational design of a Pd catalyst with highly dispersed Pd nanoclusters on an Al doped ceria-based oxide for low temperature selective catalytic reduction of NO by hydrogen with excess O was achieved. The supported Pd nanocluster shows a high hydrogen spillover ability and a NO conversion of >84% within 100-300 °C.

Background During pregnancy, mother–child interactions trigger a variety of subtle changes in the maternal body, which may be reflected in the status of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Although these cells are easy to access and monitor, a PBMC atlas for pregnant women has not yet been constructed. Methods We applied single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) to profile 198,356 PBMCs derived from 136 pregnant women (gestation weeks 6 to 40) and a control cohort. We also used scRNA‐seq data to establish a transcriptomic clock and thereby predicted the gestational age of normal pregnancy. Results We identified reconfiguration of the peripheral immune cell phenotype during pregnancy, including interferon‐stimulated gene upregulation, activation of RNA splicing‐related pathways and immune activity of cell subpopulations. We also developed a cell‐type‐specific model to predict gestational age of normal pregnancy. Conclusions We constructed a single‐cell atlas of PBMCs in pregnant women spanning the entire gestation period, which should help improve our understanding of PBMC composition turnover in pregnant women.