Prenatal small head circumference: Which biomarkers best predict microcephaly?

In the early days of artificial joint replacement, the choice of bearing material was a decisive factor for the long-term success of an artificial joint. Through intensive research and development over more than three decades, the materials and their processing and sterilisation have been continuously improved. The materials used today all offer a high degree of safety and durability. As a result - In combination with the strict approval guidelines - the choice of a specific material is no longer as important as it was when artificial joint replacement was first introduced.This article focuses on the results of primary hip arthroplasty in eight established registries. In all of the registries examined, ceramic-ceramic bearings and bearings with cross-linked polyethylene cups or liners in combination with heads made of all common head materials, show very good long-term results with a low revision risk. The choice of head size varies considerably in the individual registries. In America, large (36 mm diameter) or very large ceramic heads (over 36 mm) tend to be used, even though the country's own registry warns against very large heads. In Australia, also mainly large heads are used. However, recent analyses indicate that large heads (36 mm) have a higher risk of revision in the long term. In Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, smaller heads (32 mm diameter) tend to be predominantly used. The situation in the other countries whose registries were analysed lies somewhere in between, with each country having its own special features. In England, the results of surface replacement are being closely monitored. The results are inconspicuous for the recommended patient population. The further performance of the newly introduced ceramic surface replacement is being followed with great interest. In Germany, the proportion of heads with a diameter of 36 mm is growing continuously, which should be critically questioned when considering the results from Australia. Ceramic-ceramic bearings are being used less and less frequently, even though they perform similarly well overall to hard-soft bearings and even better in some settings. Switzerland is the only country where this bearing still accounts for more than 10 % of treatments. Sweden no longer differentiates between materials in its annual report, but instead provides a ranking of the 74 Swedish clinics in terms of revision risk. In the Netherlands, the 32 mm head diameter is still the most frequently chosen. The German registry has the highest granularity of all registries. The use of dual mobility systems in primary endoprosthetics varies greatly between registries.Despite the differences in head materials and diameters, the results for hip replacements using HXLPE or ceramic cup inlays, show a comparable overall survival rate of approximately 96 % to 98 % after 5 years. What is noteworthy is the approach taken by the Swedish mother of all endoprosthesis registries, which no longer reports results for the different bearing combinations or head sizes, but instead reports the individual results for each facility. The overall good results for all currently used bearing materials in combination with appropriate patient selection make this a comprehensible step. Consequently, the respective clinical care quality is becoming increasingly important.

An improved and more stable mouse model of lens-induced myopia.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is primarily known for its impact on the fetal central nervous system potentially leading to Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS). Emerging evidence suggests ZIKV may also affect cardiac development. We conducted a follow-up study evaluating cardiologic findings in infants from ZIKV-exposed mothers. Infants born to mothers with PCR-confirmed ZIKV infection during pregnancy and/or who had positive ZIKV PCR results at birth received echocardiograms in the first year of life. Repeat imaging within 12 months was requested for infants with identified abnormalities. Frequencies of cardiovascular (CV) abnormalities were evaluated using Pearson χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, and descriptive statistics. Predictors of CV abnormalities were assessed using multivariate logistic regression, as well as univariate and multivariate prevalence estimates. Sensitivity analysis assessed the robustness of associations when stratified by age at echocardiography (early vs late). One hundred sixty-nine children with antenatal ZIKV-exposure had echocardiograms; 30.8% were microcephalic (MC). Thirty (17.8%) had cardiac anomalies. MC children had a higher frequency of CV abnormalities than normocephalic (NC) children (26.9% vs 13.7%, p = 0.04). Twenty-four of 30 children (80.0%) returned for repeat imaging; of that group, 25.0% continued to demonstrate defects. Rates of persistent defects between the MC vs. NC cohorts were 33.3% vs 16.7%, respectively (p = 0.64). Presence of CV defects was significantly associated with MC (OR=3.40, 95% CI 1.15-10.02; p = 0.03). Among those with echocardiography performed later, MC was still associated with higher risk of abnormalities (OR=6.0, 95% CI 1.03-34.94; p = 0.046). A higher frequency of cardiac defects was noted in ZIKV-exposed infants than the general population. Most defects resolved on follow-up. The presence of a congenital heart defect (CHD) could be considered a parameter of CZS given its association with MC.

Dislocation rates in cemented posterior-approach THA using small heads, TAL-guided acetabular alignment: A large single-surgeon series.

At sunset, your shadow can be more than 10 times longer than your own height. This long shadow may appear to have a disproportionally small head and long legs, but the disproportion is not in the physical shape of the shadow. The head looks tapered because it is far away and is viewed from a fixed position. But unlike any other long object, our own shadows seem to fascinate us. We discuss the reasons behind this unique phenomenon.

Compared with infants born at term, infants born preterm are more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but specific risk factors remain uncertain.To identify possible risk factors associated with ASD development in infants born preterm.We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and Scopus to May 2025 for observational studies reporting ASD in infants born preterm. Meta-analyses used RevMan 5.4 and Stata 14.0. We assessed certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach.A total of 45 studies were included in the systematic review, of which 40 were included in the meta-analyses. Twenty-two potential risk factors were identified. Prenatal factors included male, small for gestational age (SGA), lower birth weight, lower gestational age, low maternal education, ethnic minorities, antepartum hemorrhage (APH), and multiple births. Postnatal factors included severe cranial ultrasound abnormality, cerebral palsy (CP), severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), more days on mechanical ventilation, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, longer neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay, delivery room resuscitation, longer duration of oxygen therapy, postnatal steroid administration, inotropic support, small head circumference (HC) at birth, and lack of breastfeeding. Overall, the certainty of evidence was low or very low, indicating that the associations between these risk factors and ASD in infants born preterm are highly uncertain.Our findings suggest that these 22 prenatal and postnatal factors may be associated with an increased risk of ASD in infants born preterm; however, due to low or very low certainty of evidence, the conclusions remain highly uncertain. Further high-quality prospective studies are needed to confirm these associations and to inform risk stratification and targeted preventive strategies.

The centriole, a key organelle for cell division and ciliogenesis, is indispensable for embryonic development. The advent of specific pharmacological inhibitors targeting distinct stages of centriole biogenesis—so-called “centriole blockers”—has provided powerful tools to dissect its spatiotemporal functions. This review synthesizes findings from experimental models (mouse, zebrafish, Xenopus, and human stem cell-derived organoids) exposed to three major inhibitor classes: specific PLK4 inhibitors (e.g., centrinone), centriole assembly disruptors (e.g., Bril), and multi-kinase inhibitors (e.g., CFI-400945). Our comparative meta-analysis reveals a fundamental dichotomy in developmental disruption mechanisms. PLK4 inhibition primarily triggers p53-dependent apoptotic depletion of rapidly proliferating progenitors, modeling microcephaly and causing pre-implantation arrest. In contrast, assembly inhibitors predominantly cause structural ciliary defects, disrupting Sonic Hedgehog and Wnt signaling to produce classic ciliopathy phenotypes (polydactyly, renal cysts, laterality defects). The multi-kinase inhibitor CFI-400945 demonstrates compounded toxicity from off-target effects. These phenotypes directly mirror human “centriolopathies,” including autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) and syndromic ciliopathies (e.g., Meckel-Gruber syndrome), validating the pathological mechanisms. The analysis establishes the embryo's extreme vulnerability to “centriolar stress,” where checkpoints eliminate defective cells, and highlights the dual role of the centriole as both a mitotic licensor and a ciliary organizer. These insights carry significant translational implications, warning of high teratogenic risk for anticancer therapies targeting this pathway while endorsing these inhibitors as precise tools for disease modeling and therapeutic screening.

Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford), known as composite thrips, is a neotropical species now established in various regions including India, parts of Europeand the US, where it infests crops like marigold,beansand Asteraceae family plants. Severe infestations cause significant damage, such as leaf bronzing, pod quality reduction, petal discolorationand hindered seed development, significantly lowering market value. Additionally, it vectors Tobacco streak virus (TSV) to weeds and crops, amplifying economic losses in floriculture and vegetable production. The bio-ecology of Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford)was investigated on marigold leaves (var. Benztall) under controlled laboratory conditions at the College of Horticulture (COH), Bengaluru, from January to February 2021. Experiment was maintained at 26 ± 2°C temperature and 70 ± 5% relative humidity. Thrips collected from field-infested marigold plants were identified as M. abdominalis through morphological traitsviz., small head narrower than prothorax, seven antennal segments (3rd/4th light-colored), fringed brown wings and sexual dimorphism. The results indicate that the total life cycle averaged 16.98 ± 3.07 days, comprising egg (1.95 ± 0.41 days; bean-shaped, whitish, inserted in lower leaf surfaces), first instar larva (2.60 ± 0.41 days; tiny/whitish, 0.54 ± 0.01 mm), second instar (3.98 ± 0.97 days; yellowish, 0.82 ± 0.01 mm), pre-pupa (1.38 ± 0.53 days; dark/sluggish, upward antennae), pupa (1.97 ± 0.29 days; folded antennae, full wing pads)and adult (5.10 ± 0.46 days; male: 0.96 ± 0.04 mm, female: 1.13 ± 0.04 mm).Observations used Petri dishes with fresh leaf arenas, 40 × 40 × 40 cm cages (10 adults/plant)and 8-hour stereo microscopy for exuvial confirmation, enabling precise stage delineation.

Abstract Small object detection in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aerial imagery faces substantial challenges due to small target scales, complex backgrounds, noise interference, and so on. To enhance multi-scale feature representation and detection efficiency, this paper proposes MSEF-YOLO11s. Specifically, we first design a lightweight partial multi-scale (LPMS) module, which effectively aggregates cross-scale information and enhances multi-scale representations in the backbone for small objects. Secondly, to dynamically adjust feature weights and mitigate feature conflicts in the neck, we devise a multi-scale boundary-semantic alignment (MS-BSA) based on adaptive attention, which can further avoid computational redundancy for sufficient fusion. Finally, a lightweight shared detail detection head (LSDDH) replaces the decoupled head structure with shared convolutional layers, resolving the issue of parameter explosion associated with adding a dedicated small object detection head. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Specifically, compared to the baseline YOLO11s, MSEF-YOLO11s achieves an improvement of 6.6% in mAP50 on the VisDrone2019 test set, with only 4.4M increase in parameters. Furthermore, mAP50 on the TinyPerson test set increases from 22.8% to 28.1%, confirming the model’s strong generalization capability.

Objective:The cerebellum is increasingly recognized as a key component of large-scale brain networks implicated in epilepsy, yet its electrophysiological characterization remains limited in noninvasive recordings. This limitation arises from the cerebellum’s depth, complex folding, and unfavorable source orientations, which challenge conventional magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG). Here, we quantitatively characterize cerebellar signal detectability across modalities and sensor configurations using anatomically informed source modeling at the population level.Methods:We analyzed clinical MEG and EEG recordings from a large cohort of patients with epilepsy undergoing presurgical evaluation. Cerebellar and cerebral source spaces were constructed using subject-specific anatomical models derived from routine clinical MRI, enabling consistent forward modeling across individuals. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was estimated at individual source locations and summarized at the regional level. In addition to clinical Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)-MEG and EEG, multiple on-scalp optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) configurations were evaluated through simulation, including layouts matched to clinical sensor geometries and layouts optimized for posterior fossa coverage. The effects of source orientation, sensor-source distance, and head size on SNR were systematically investigated.Results:In routine clinical recordings, cerebellar SNR was consistently lower than superficial cortical reference levels, confirming the limited detectability of cerebellar activity with standard SQUID-MEG and EEG. Reducing sensor-source distance by placing OPMs at SQUID-equivalent locations, i.e., projecting SQUID sensor locations to the scalp, did not improve cerebellar SNR, indicating that proximity alone is insufficient for better detectability of deeper sources. In contrast, cerebellar-optimized OPM layouts produced substantial SNR gains in posterior cerebellar regions. The effects of source orientation influence SNR differences between OPM and EEG (under identical sensor/electrode coverage) but were secondary to depth- and geometry-related constraints. Mediation analysis further demonstrated that relative sensor distance significantly mediated OPM-related advantages in posterior cerebellar regions, particularly in individuals with smaller head sizes.Conclusions:These findings demonstrate that cerebellar signal detectability is governed primarily by anatomical depth and geometry rather than sensor proximity alone. Anatomically informed source modeling, combined with flexible and region-specific sensor layouts, enables meaningful improvements in cerebellar SNR that are not achievable with fixed-helmet systems. While directly motivated by epilepsy, this framework advances human brain mapping beyond the cerebrum by providing a principled approach for evaluating MEG and EEG sensitivity in deep and highly folded brain structures.

Abstract BACKGROUND Industrial fuel‐ethanol units must remove trace volatile congeners (acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, carbon dioxide) to meet quality requirements. In Brazilian systems, a small heads column (“Column D”) is often placed above the stripper. This study evaluated the effect of Column D in removing congeners by comparing it to other systems that do not have it. RESULTS Steady‐state simulations of a beer‐ethanol stripper coupled to a rectifier were performed in a commercial process simulator. In the stripper alone, the configuration with Column D removed 42.39% acetaldehyde and 51.72% ethyl acetate, whereas simplified arrangements without Column D removed only 5.31–18.91% acetaldehyde and 1.72–11.62% ethyl acetate. After rectification, however, total acetaldehyde removals became similar for all feeds (91.50% compared to 88.14% and 86.06%), and ethyl acetate removals also approached each other (55.63% compared to 58.97% and 41.06%), showing that the rectifier can recover most of the separation initially provided by Column D. CONCLUSION The results indicate that while Column D can improve removal of congeners such as acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate in stand‐alone stripper simulations, its benefits become less pronounced once the rectifier column is considered. Analysis further reveals that feed composition is an important factor for ethyl acetate removal: at lower ethanol concentrations, ethyl acetate can be more effectively stripped due to its higher relative volatility. These findings suggest that careful adjustments of process parameters can match or surpass the separation efficiency given by an additional column, potentially reducing both operational costs and ethanol losses. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

To evaluate the value of the thickness of the frontal lobe (TFL) and foramen magnum-to-cranium distance (FCD) for predicting poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in fetuses with a small head circumference (HC). This retrospective observational study included 39 fetuses with HC < -2 standard deviations (SD) and 592 prospectively collected controls with normal growth. TFL was defined as the shortest distance between the upper outer border of the corpus callosum and the upper inner cranial border parallel to the FCD. Reference ranges for FCD and TFL were established in 592 healthy fetuses between 21 and 38 weeks of gestation and applied to fetuses with suspected microcephaly. Diagnostic performance was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, and SD-based thresholds. Normal reference ranges for FCD and TFL across gestation were established. All fetuses with normal postnatal outcomes had TFL values within the normal range, whereas reduced TFL was observed only in fetuses with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. For predicting adverse outcomes, TFL <-2 SD showed a specificity of 100%, compared with 88% for FCD <-2 SD. Combining HC <-2 SD with TFL <-2 SD improved identification of fetuses with poor outcomes, including cases with borderline HC measurements (-2 to -3 SD). When combined with HC, reduced TFL may serve as a highly specific prenatal marker for identifying fetuses at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in suspected microcephaly.

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a genetically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a markedly reduced head circumference (−3 to −5 standard deviations) at birth, with relatively preserved brain architecture. Affected individuals often present with mild to moderate intellectual disability, and the condition is more prevalent in populations with high rates of consanguinity, such as Pakistan. To date, pathogenic variants in at least 32 genes have been associated with MCPH, with ASPM and WDR62 accounting for the majority of cases (68% and 14%, respectively). In this study, we investigated four consanguineous families with congenital microcephaly and identified three novel variants in CPAP, WDR62, and ASPM. In Family 1, we identified a novel missense variant (c.3947C>A; p. (Thr1316Lys) in CPAP (NM_018451.4) located within the highly conserved TCP domain, which mediates interactions with other MCPH proteins, including STIL and CEP135. Family 2 harbored a previously unreported splice-site variant, c.2867 + 5G>T, in WDR62 (NM_001083961.2). In Families 3 and 4, we identified one novel (c.3188T>G; p. (Leu1063*)) and one previously reported (c.9730C>T; p. (Arg3244*)) pathogenic variant in ASPM (NM_018136.4). Computational analyses and structural modeling indicated that all these variants are likely deleterious, disrupting normal protein function. Our findings expand the mutational spectrum of CPAP and WDR62 and reinforce ASPM as the most frequently mutated gene underlying MCPH in the Pakistani population.

Vortex pumps are widely used in many engineering fields because of their small size and high lift head. However, the efficiency of this pump is quite low compared with that of other pumps. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to increase the efficiency of a vortex pump while increasing the head and reducing the power consumption. Numerical simulations are performed to obtain the internal flow pattern of the pump, and the nonideal double-vortex structure appears under all flow conditions. Modification of the volute shape was then proposed to optimize the double-vortex flow pattern, and the results revealed that the trapezoidal-shaped volute greatly improved the internal flow pattern. Additional modifications are proposed to reduce the power consumption of the pump. The experimental results of the optimized model show increase in the head and efficiency of 3.6 m and 3.2% (under nominal conditions), respectively, and a decrease in the power consumption from 10 to 20 W. This work highlights the importance of the volute shape on the performance of vortex pumps; a proper volute diffusion angle effectively suppresses the nonideal double-vortex structure and then avoids unnecessary energy losses.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-30084-4.

BackgroundFetal microcephaly, defined as a small head circumference in utero or at birth, is a rare but clinically significant condition that may be associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay and impairment. However, the comprehensive analysis of multiple genetic testing methods for fetal microcephaly remains limited. This study aimed to summarize the clinical characteristics, ultrasound phenotypes, and genetic etiologies of prenatally diagnosed microcephaly.MethodsA single-center retrospective study was performed on fetuses with microcephaly. A total of 197 fetuses with microcephaly undergoing invasive prenatal diagnosis were recruited. Cytogenetic and monogenic abnormalities were investigated using karyotyping, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), copy number variant sequencing (CNV-seq) and whole exome sequencing (WES) were further analyzed.ResultsAmong the 197 fetuses, 48.7% (96/197) had isolated microcephaly, while 51.3% (101/197) had non-isolated microcephaly. Within the non-isolated group, 24.9% (49/197) presented soft markers and 10.2% (20/197) exhibited structural defects. The incidences of chromosomal abnormalities (12.9%, 13/101) and pathogenic CNVs (6.9%, 7/101) were both higher in nonisolated fetuses than those in isolated fetuses. Significant differences were observed in the rate of chromosomal abnormalities across the borderline, moderate and severe microcephaly subgroups, and pCNVs were detected more commonly in the severe subgroup than in the borderline or moderate subgroup. Trio-WES, performed in 24 cases, revealed single gene variants including the POGZ gene, which was associated with the phenotype of microcephaly. The overall rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes was 33.1% (57/172), excluding ongoing pregnancies and cases lost to follow-up.ConclusionsFetal microcephaly represents a genotypically and phenotypically heterogeneous disorder. The comprehensive application of multiple genetic testing approaches provides an effective and essential strategy for the prenatal diagnosis of the diverse etiologies underlying fetal microcephaly.

This study analyses how the orientation of the measurement head in a magnetic diagnostic system affects the parameters of magnetic signals recorded during steel-cord conveyor belt inspection. The experiments were conducted on a laboratory test stand using a reference belt with artificial defects at two belt speeds and several sensitivity thresholds. Three types of head rotation were analyzed: longitudinal (OX), transverse (OY), and planar (OZ). For each configuration, a set of geometric signal parameters was calculated, including length, width, orientation, eccentricity, and solidity. The results showed that rotation about the OX axis caused the greatest geometric distortions (increased orientation_deg and eccentricity). Rotation about the OY axis produced amplitude asymmetry and changes in solidity (circularity), while rotation about the OZ axis resulted in twisting and displacement of the signal centroid. The total area (area_mm2) remained stable, confirming the geometric nature of the observed changes. Even small head deviations (5–10°) may introduce significant interpretation errors. Therefore, the application of geometric calibration and orientation compensation algorithms is recommended to improve the online diagnostic accuracy of the measurement system.

The etiology of primary hereditary microcephaly (MCPH), a condition closely linked to neocortex development, remains poorly understood. Initially, MCPH genes were thought to regulate a limited set of cellular processes, but recent studies reveal that many encode multifunctional proteins, often converging on primary cilia, organelles that orchestrate the development of most vertebrate tissues and organs. In this perspective article, we examine the role of primary cilia in brain development and explore how disruptions in MCPH and microcephaly-associated proteins compromise ciliary dynamics and function. We highlight additional cilia-related proteins with potential influence on neurodevelopment. By elucidating the connections between primary cilia and neural development, we aim to provide insights into mechanisms of neuroregeneration. Ultimately, advancing our understanding of primary cilia may help develop therapeutic strategies to restore neuronal function and improve outcomes for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.

A phenotypic brain organoid atlas and biobank for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Abstract To address the dual challenges of energy shortage and low irrigation efficiency in rural areas, this paper proposes an efficient design scheme for a reversible pump-turbine unit using micro-pumped hydro storage (MPHS) technology in agricultural wells. By constructing an integrated “well-storage pond-unit” system, the design achieves multi-functional integration of pumped storage irrigation. Through continuous optimization of runner blades and guide vanes using CFD numerical simulation, both pumping efficiency and generation efficiency reach approximately 80%. This design overcomes the limitations of small radial dimensions and high head requirements for micro-pumped storage devices, realizing efficient integration of irrigation/drainage and clean energy recovery. It provides a cost-effective and efficient solution for the development of smart agriculture.