cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphogenetic movements in Salmo gairdneri Richardson

Uncoordinated movements of individual internal blastomeres of the pregastrular blastodisc are distinguished from true morphogenetic movements which later segregate the germ layers and establish the embryonic axis and its organs. These coordinated movements are described in detail for stages 7 through 10 on the basis of recorded drift of chalk dust implanted among the blastomeres, and of vital dye spots printed on the blastodisc. The movements of the chalk and of the living colored cells follow the same pattern but the chalk gives more precise information over a longer time span. There is no evidence of invagination, or in-wheeling, or centripetal convergence. Most of the movements combine epiboly and convergence, but in different proportions varying with the depth of the cells and their distance from the blastodisc center. A line of chalk dust, implanted by needle thrust down the full depth of the blastodisc often divides into a superficial, chiefly epibolic, cloud of granules and a deeper one, convergent toward the axis. Particles from a single implantation site may become incorporated into a variety of organs and tissues, indicating that a fate map for Salmo must be three-dimensional. The forebrain receives secondary contributions from the center of the blastodisc. Movements directly comparable to closure of neural folds are described during formation of the brain. The role of the germ ring is examined in detail. It does contribute to the mesoderm of the tail. Migration along it toward the axis involves only the hypoblast, through which cells move at very different rates.
Thickness changes in the stroma of an excised cornea during anoxia

Abstract Irrigation of the excised but viable rabbit cornea with deaerated 1% NaCl solution causes swelling of the stroma but only slight (3%) increase in epithelial thickness. The anoxic epithelium retains its ability to act as a semipermeable membrane to NaCl. When subject to osmotic shock, the stroma under an anoxic epithelium responds in a normal manner. Flow conductivity of the anoxic epithelium calculated from the osmotic shock data is about the same as that of the normal epithelium.
Infinitely many ribbon knots with the same fundamental group

We work in the DIFF category. A knot K = (S n+2 , S n ) is a ribbon knot if S n bounds an immersed disc D n+1 → S n+2 with no triple points and such that the components of the singular set are n-discs whose boundary (n – l)-spheres either lie on S n or are disjoint from S n . Pushing D n+1 into D n+3 produces a ribbon disc pair D = ( D n+3 , D n+1 ) , with the ribbon knot (S n+2 , S n ) on its boundary. The double of a ribbon ( n+ 1)-disc pair is an ( n + l)-ribbon knot. Every ( n+ l)-ribbon knot is obtained in this manner.
Duration and Convexity

The price of a bond is a function of the promised payments and the market required rate of return (ROR). Because the promised payments are fixed, bond prices change in response to changes in the market required rate of return. For investors who hold bonds, the issue of how sensitive a bonds price is to changes in the required rate of return is important. There are four measures of bond price sensitivity that are commonly used: simple maturity, Macaulay duration (effective maturity), modified duration, and convexity. Each of these measures provides a more exact description of how a bond price changes relative to changes in the required rate of return. This technical note provides the students with the calculations for those four measures for bond price sensitivity.
AlGaN-Based Ultraviolet Laser Diodes

The current status of UV lasers and laser diodes (LDs) based on group III-nitrides is reviewed. The focus is on the design, fabrication, and performance of AlGa(In)N laser heterostructures grown by metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on high-quality bulk AlN substrates. The review begins with the fundamentals of laser diode operation and identifies the challenges to realize short-wavelength devices with wide band gap materials. In particular, simultaneously achieving high material quality and good p-type conductivity becomes increasingly challenging with higher aluminum concentrations in the epitaxial films. Using low defect density bulk AlN substrates is a good strategy to realize high internal quantum efficiencies and, ultimately, high gain within the active zone. Polarization-assisted hole generation with a short-period superlattice for the cladding layer is a viable approach to overcome the limitations of thermally activated p-type doping. Topics include LD processing considerations that are relevant for the high band gap materials, issues related to efficient carrier injection at the high current densities required for LD operation, and specific approaches to improve the functionality of the electron blocking layer. Next, results are presented for optically pumped UV lasers, with wavelengths down to λ = 237 nm and low lasing thresholds, and design options are described to manipulate the polarization of the emitted laser light. The review concludes with a discussion of alternative laser designs to realize deep-UV laser emission with nitride semiconductors.
Renal function in one-kidney, one-clip hypertension and low renin essential hypertension

One-kidney, one-clip hypertension (1-K, 1-C HT) is initiated by increased preglomerular resistance which decreases nephron perfusion and causes several intrarenal changes that lead to increased mean arterial pressure (MAP). Elevated MAP serves to return nephron perfusion and sodium excretion to normal, so that fluid intake and output are balanced. Increased MAP usually occurs through volume homeostasis mechanisms that initially raise cardiac output and later elevate total peripheral vascular resistance via autoregulatory adjustments. However, if adequate volume is unavailable because of sodium restriction, sustained activation of the renin-angiotensin system increases blood pressure sufficiently to restore nephron perfusion. Thus, depending upon the availability of volume, renal perfusion and sodium balance can be restored either by volume retention or by increased angiotensin II (ANGII) formation and peripheral vasoconstriction. Similarities exist between 1-K, 1-C HT and low-renin essential hypertension (LRHT). In both cases, renal-pressure natriuresis is shifted to higher levels and there are marked increases in preglomerular resistance that necessitate increased MAP to maintain sodium balance. However, in 1-K, 1-C HT, there is a parallel shift of pressure natriuresis with little or no change in the slope of this curve, similar to that found in the normal-renin essential hypertension. In LRHT the slope of pressure natriuresis is decreased, indicating that blood pressure is much more salt sensitive than normal. Another difference is that PRA is low compared to normal PRA in 1-K, 1-C HT after compensatory increases in MAP. There is also no indication of glomerular membrane damage in 1-K, 1-C HT, whereas LRHT may have significant glomerulopathy, especially as hypertension progresses. These differences suggest that there may be additional factors besides preglomerular vasoconstriction involved in the etiology of LRHT. One possible factor is a reduction in nephron number in LRHT. Decreased functional nephrons would lead to glomerular hyperfiltration and increased distal tubular flow rate in the remaining nephrons, causing decreased PRA and eventually glomerular damage. Increased fractional sodium reabsorption, particularly in distal tubular segments, could also contribute to decreased PRA and cause blood pressure to be salt sensitive. These abnormalities, along with preglomerular vasoconstriction, may explain many of the characteristics of LRHT.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Induces Brain Morphological Changes in Regions Associated with a Treatment Resistant Major Depressive Episode: An Exploratory Analysis.

Abstract Background Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an FDA-approved antidepressant treatment but little is known of its mechanism of action. Specifically, downstream effects of TMS remain to be elucidated. Objective/hypothesis This study aims to identify brain structural changes from TMS treatment of a treatment resistant depressive episode through an exploratory analysis. Methods Twenty-seven subjects in a DSM-IV current major depressive episode and on a stable medication regimen had a 3T magnetic resonance T1 structural scan before and after five weeks of standard TMS treatment to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Twenty-seven healthy volunteer (HVs) subjects had the same brain MRI acquisition. Voxel-based morphometry was performed using high dimensional non-linear diffusomorphic anatomical registration (DARTEL). Results Six clusters of gray matter volume (GMV) that were lower in pre-treatment MRIs of depressed subjects than in HVs. GMV in four of these regions increased in MDD after TMS treatment by 3.5–11.2%. The four brain regions that changed with treatment were centered in the left anterior cingulate cortex, the left insula, the left superior temporal gyrus and the right angular gyrus. Increases in the anterior cingulate GMV with TMS correlated with improvement in depression severity. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study of brain structural changes during TMS treatment of depression. The affected brain areas are involved in cognitive appraisal, decision-making and subjective experience of emotion. These effects may have potential relevance for the antidepressant action of TMS.
Relation of Prolactin and Estrogen to Mammary Tumorigenesis in the Rat

In rats estrogen and prolactin are the 2 most important hormones involved in development and growth of mammary tumors. Both are controlled by the pituitary gland and hypothalamous. Ovariectomy or hypophysectomy can inhibit development of mammary tumors or can cause regression. Growth of established mammary tumors can be increased by doses of estrogen estrogen with progesterone or prolactin. Estrogen increases prolactin and growth hormone secretion by the pituitary but has no effect on tumorigenesis in the absence of the pituitary. However prolactin or prolactin with growth hormone together may promote mammary tumor development in the absence of ovaries. In an experiment to study the effects of different doses of estrogen on mammary cancer de velopment and growth in ovariectomized rats tumors were induced with 5 mg of 712-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene (DMBA) at 52 days of age. Test animals received estradiol benzoate (EB) every other day for 150 days by sc injection; controls were given only the corn oil solvent. Mammary cancers developed in all 18 controls with an average latency period of 59 days. No cancers developed in ovariectomized rats who did not receive DMBA. Greatest tumor incidence (17 of 19) occurred in rats given 2 mcg EB. Average latency was 73 days. Regression occurred in 8% of mammary tumors in intact controls but in 20% of ovariectomized rats given .2 and 2.0 mcg EB. Regression rate was 39% in ovariectomized rats given 20 mcg EB. At 150 days ovariectomized rats not treated with EB showed reduced prolactin levels; those with .2 mcg EB showed a small inc rease; the highest doses (up to 2 mcg) produced increases ranging from 11.5 to 12-fold. In rats given 2 mcg EB fewer cancers followed and the latency period was longer than in intact controls. In another experiment a large dose of estrogen given 3 months after DMBA prevented tumor growth while prolactin alone increased mammary tumor growth about 190%. EB alone completely suppressed growth of tumors whereas EB with prolactin restored growth to that of controls. Large doses of estrogen may block binding of prolactin to receptor sites or otherwise prevent prolactin from acting on tumor cells. Changes in hypothalamic function may give rise to spontaneous mammary tumors by increasing prolactin secretion especially in old female rats. Whether this applies to humans is undetermined.
Enumerating Preferred Solutions to Conditional Simple Temporal Networks Quickly Using Bounding Conflicts

To achieve high performance, autonomous systems, such as science explorers, should adapt to the environment to improve utility gained, as well as robustness. Flexibility during temporal plan execution has been explored extensively to improve robustness, where flexibility exists both in activity choices and schedules. These problems are framed as conditional constraint networks over temporal constraints. However, flexibility has been exploited in a limited form to improve utility. Prior work considers utility in choice or schedule, but not their coupling. To exploit fully flexibility, we introduce conditional simple temporal networks with preference (CSTNP), where preference is a function over both choice and schedule. Enumerating best solutions to a CSTNP is challenging due to the cost of scheduling a candidate STPP and the exponential number of candidates. Our contribution is an algorithm for enumerating solutions to CSTNPs efficiently, called A star with bounding conflicts (A*BC), and a novel variant of conflicts, called bounding conflicts, for learning heuristic functions. A*BC interleaves Generate, Test, and Bound. When A*BC bounds a candidate, by solving a STPP, it generates a bounding conflict, denoting neighboring candidates with similar bounds. A*BC's generator then uses these conflicts to steer away from sub-optimal candidates.
Genome-wide analysis reveals positional-nucleosome-oriented binding pattern of pioneer factor FOXA1

The compaction of nucleosomal structures creates a barrier for DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs) to access their cognate cis-regulatory elements. Pioneer factors (PFs) such as FOXA1 are able to directly access these cis-targets within compact chromatin. However, how these PFs interplay with nucleosomes remains to be elucidated, and is critical for us to understand the underlying mechanism of gene regulation. Here, we have conducted a computational analysis on a strand-specific paired-end ChIP-exo (termed as ChIP-ePENS) data of FOXA1 in LNCaP cells by our novel algorithm ePEST. We find that FOXA1 chromatin binding occurs via four distinct border modes (or footprint boundary patterns), with a preferential footprint boundary patterns relative to FOXA1 motif orientation. In addition, from this analysis three fundamental nucleotide positions (oG, oS and oH) emerged as major determinants for blocking exo-digestion and forming these four distinct border modes. By integrating histone MNase-seq data, we found an astonishingly consistent, 'well-positioned' configuration occurs between FOXA1 motifs and dyads of nucleosomes genome-wide. We further performed ChIP-seq of eight chromatin remodelers and found an increased occupancy of these remodelers on FOXA1 motifs for all four border modes (or footprint boundary patterns), indicating the full occupancy of FOXA1 complex on the three blocking sites (oG, oS and oH) likely produces an active regulatory status with well-positioned phasing for protein binding events. Together, our results suggest a positional-nucleosome-oriented accessing model for PFs seeking target motifs, in which FOXA1 can examine each underlying DNA nucleotide and is able to sense all potential motifs regardless of whether they face inward or outward from histone octamers along the DNA helix axis.
Impact of Delta Hemoglobin on Provider Transfusion Practices and Post-operative Morbidity Among Patients Undergoing Liver and Pancreatic Surgery

Delta hemoglobin (ΔHb) is defined as the difference between the preoperative Hb and the lowest post-operative Hb level. We sought to define the impact of ΔHb relative to nadir Hb levels on the likelihood of transfusion, as well as characterize the impact of ΔHb and nadir Hb on morbidity among a large cohort of patients undergoing complex hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery. Patients who underwent pancreatic or hepatic resection between January 1, 2009 and June 30, 2015 at Johns Hopkins Hospital were identified. Data on the perioperative ΔHb, nadir Hb, as well as blood utilization were obtained and analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the factors associated with ΔHb and the impact of ΔHb on perioperative morbidity. A Bayesian model was used to evaluate the correlation of ΔHb and nadir Hb with the likelihood of transfusion, as well as the impact on morbidity. A total of 4363 patients who underwent hepatobiliary (n = 2200, 50.4 %) or pancreatic (n = 2163, 49.6 %) surgery were identified. More than one quarter of patients received at least one unit of packed red blood cells (PRBC) (n = 1187, 27.2 %). The median nadir Hb was 9.2 (IQR 7.9–10.5) g/dL resulting in an average ΔHb of 3.4 mg/dL (IQR 2.2–4.7) corresponding to 26.3 %. Both ΔHb and nadir Hb strongly influenced provider behavior with regards to use of transfusion. Among patients with the same nadir Hb, ΔHb was strongly associated with use of transfusion; among patients who had a nadir Hb ≤6 g/dL, the use of transfusion was only 17.9 % when the ΔHb = 10 % versus 49.1 and 80.9 % when the ΔHb was 30 or 50 %, respectively. Perioperative complications occurred in 584 patients (13.4 %) and were more common among patients with a higher value of ΔHb, as well as patients who received PRBC (both P < 0.001). The combination of the Hb trigger with ΔHb was associated with transfusion practices among providers. Larger ΔHb values, as well as receipt of transfusion, were strongly associated with risk of perioperative complication following HPB surgery.
Multi-modal smart bio-sensing SoC platform with >80dB SNR 35µA PPG RX chain

A multi-modal analog front end (AFE) and ultra-low energy bio-sensing CMOS SoC is presented. System/ circuit techniques enable signal path duty cycles as low as sub-1% and result in a 35µA Photo Plethysmography (PPG) RX Chain − 5X lower than published state of the art - while maintaining overall SNR > 80dBFS. The signal chain is adaptively synchronized by an ultra-low power FSM and includes a 1.3µW 14b 1kSPS SAR A/D. Input signal-aware, real-time data path adaptation is achieved by leveraging on-the-fly algorithms running on an external microcontroller (μC) to further reduce system energy. A programmable, asynchronous capacitive reset amplifier (PARCA) with NEF of 4.8 and dx/dt analog feature extractor demonstrate energy efficient ECG capture. A battery-powered, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) based, wearable platform with simultaneous ECG and PPG acquisition using this AFE has been demonstrated.
Lateral Habenula Involvement in Impulsive Cocaine Seeking

The lateral habenula (LHb) is a brain structure receiving inputs from limbic forebrain areas and innervating major midbrain monoaminergic nuclei. Evidence indicates LHb involvement in sleep control, reward-based decision making, avoidance of punishment, and responses to stress. Additional work has established that the LHb mediates negative feedback in response to aversive events. As a hallmark of drug addiction is the inability to limit drug use despite negative consequences, we hypothesize that LHb dysfunction may have a role in the lack of control over drug seeking. Here we examine the effects of LHb inactivation in control over drug seeking in several cocaine self-administration (SA) paradigms in rats. We find that inhibition of the LHb with GABAergic agonists did not alter cocaine SA under progressive ratio or seeking/taking chained reinforcement schedules, or during punishment-induced suppression of cocaine-reinforced responding. In contrast, LHb inhibition increased cocaine seeking when the drug was not available in rats trained to discriminate its presence using an environmental cue. This effect of LHb inhibition was selective for cocaine, as it did not impair responding for sucrose reinforcement. The effect of LHb injection of GABA agonists was mimicked by intra-LHb muscarinic cholinergic (mACh) antagonist injection, and activation of mACh receptors excited a majority of LHb neurons in in vitro electrophysiology experiments. These results indicate that the LHb participates in the suppression of impulsive responding for cocaine through the activation of a cholinergic circuit, and they suggest that LHb dysfunction may contribute to impaired impulse control associated with drug addiction.
Semidefinite relaxation autofocus for bistatic backprojection SAR

Semidefinite relaxation (SDR) autofocus has been shown in previous work to provide a tighter relaxation to the constant modulus quadratic program than current radar autofocus techniques. We extend the SDR autofocus derivation to bistatic, near field backprojection imaging and pose a linear, convex approximation. The linear objective function may be maximized or minimized, depending on available a priori knowledge of positions of strong or weak scattering. The proposed technique is demonstrated to work well for both simulated and measured data.
Analysis of Argonaute 2-microRNA complexes in ex vivo stored red blood cells.

BACKGROUND Human enucleated mature red blood cells (RBCs) contain both mature microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs, and we have previously correlated RBC storage lesion processes such as eryptosis, adenosine 5′-triphosphate loss, and RBC indices with differentially expressed miRNAs. Here we have characterized Argonaute 2 (AGO2)–miRNA complexes in stored mature RBCs as a first step toward understanding their role, if any. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS In this report AGO2-bound miRNAs in mature RBCs isolated from RBCs collected from three different healthy donors and stored for 24 hours at 4 to 6°C were identified by anti-AGO2 immunoprecipitation (IP) followed by next-generation sequencing of the RNA isolated from the IP. The data were analyzed by various bioinformatics tools. RESULTS The analysis highlighted 28 mature AGO2-bound miRNAs that are common to all three donors, representing 95.6% of the identified miRNAs. Among these, miR-16-5p (20.6%), miR-451a-5p (16.7%), miR-486-5p (12.6%), and miR-92a-3p (12.6%) are the most abundant miRNAs. Functional enrichment analysis for mRNA targets of the 28 common miRNAs identified molecules related to various diseases, biofunctions, and toxicity functions such as cardio-, hepato-, and nephrotoxicity. CONCLUSION Overall, these results demonstrate the existence of multiple intracellular AGO2-bound miRNAs in 24-hour-stored RBCs and warrant further experiments to determine whether AGO2-miRNAs are functional in RBCs.
Transcriptional control of IDO by the cancer suppression gene Bin1, a key mechanism for restraining tumor immune escape

5307 Immune escape is a central hallmark of cancer. It has long been recognized that tumor cells escape immune destruction by defeating immune surveillance and do so despite displaying recognizable tumor antigens. This phenomenon is central to tumor cell survival and suggests that defeating immune escape could have wide therapeutic benefit. However, the underlying genetic basis for immune escape by tumors is poorly understood. We have determined that Bin1 loss can promote tumor formation by facilitating escape from host anti-tumor immunity. Homozygous deletion of the Bin1 gene greatly enhances tumor formation by Myc+Ras- transformed murine skin keratinocyte (MR KEC) isografts in syngeneic hosts but not in athymic nude mice or in syngeneic mice immunodepleted of T cells. These data suggest a cell-extrinsic effect on anti-tumor immunity. A candidate mediator of this effect, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), is being investigated. Catabolism of tryptophan by IDO can block T cell activation and promote immune tolerance. Bin1 -/- cells exhibit superinducible IDO, suggesting a mechanism that might account for the more aggressive growth of Bin1 -/- isografts in immunocompetent hosts. Supporting this idea, treatment of Bin1-null MR KEC tumors with a bioavailable inhibitor of IDO suppresses their outgrowth in immunocompetant mice but has no impact on growth of these tumors in T cell deficient animals. We have investigated further how Bin1 attenuation elevates expression of the IDO gene. In transient promoter-reporter assays conducted in HeLa cells with a 900 bp fragment of the mouse IDO promoter, we show that inhibiting Bin1 by either siRNA or dominant negative strategies increases both basal and IFN-γ-induced IDO promoter activity. Activation of the IDO promoter by IFN-γ is known to be dependent on the transcription factors STAT1 and NF-κB. Based on evidence that intracellular trafficking of both STAT1 and NF-κB may be modulated by Bin1/Amphiphysin, we have examined roles for them in Bin1 - dependent regulation of IDO in MR KECs. Consistent with the results in HeLa cells, Bin1 deletion compromises both basal and IFN-γ-induced transcription from the IDO promoter in MR KECs, and this effect is reversed in Bin1 addback experiments. Introduction of a “super-repressor” mutant of IκB, which can prevent NF-κB activation by upstream stimuli, abolishes the benefits of Bin1 deletion to IDO transcription. Similarly, introduction of a dominant negative mutant STAT1 Y701F, which limits STAT-mediated activation, abolishes the benefit of Bin1 deletion to IDO transcription. Taken together, these results indicate that the genetic control Bin1 exerts over IDO expression is mediated through NF-κB-dependent and STAT-dependent transcription.
Cultural Heritage of a Diverse Region

Southeast Asia is not a unit in the geographical, historical, religious or ethnic senses. Although almost all of the region (except for a small portion of Myanmar) falls within the tropics, the Southeast Asian realm is clearly divided into two segments: mainland Southeast Asia comprising Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and insular Southeast Asia comprising the present states of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Geographical proximity to India and China and the region’s location on the maritime trade route between those two great and large countries have had a profound impact on the region’s culture.
Does sampler size affect southeastern Piedmont forest soil bulk density estimation

Destructive core sampling is the most recognized technique for soil bulk density estimation to monitor soil compaction. This study was conducted to determine if soil bulk density sampler size would...
Serum Chloride Levels Track With Survival in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background Serum chloride is an important homeostatic biomarker in left heart failure, with significant prognostic implications. The impact of serum chloride in the long-term survival of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is unknown. We tested whether serum chloride levels are associated with long-term survival in patients with PAH. Methods We included patients with idiopathic or heritable PAH who had a basic metabolic panel performed at the time of their diagnostic right heart catheterization. Laboratory results were recorded both at diagnosis and 6-month follow-up. Results We included 277 patients, mean age 51 ± 18 years and 73% women, of whom 254 had a follow-up electrolyte determination at 6 months. Serum chloride was 102.9 ± 3.9 mM/L at diagnosis. A serum chloride ≤ 100 mM/L was noted in 65 (24%) and 53 (21%) patients at diagnosis and 6 months, respectively. Patients with serum chloride ≤ 100 mM/L at 6 months tracked with increase mortality when adjusted by age, sex, pulmonary vascular resistance, diuretics or prostacyclin analogs usage, and serum creatinine and sodium at 6 months (hazard ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.11-3.00). This group of patients was older, with decreased functional capacity, had worse renal function, took more diuretics, had higher pulmonary artery wedge pressure but lower mean pulmonary artery pressure, transpulmonary gradient, and pulmonary vascular resistance. Conclusions Serum chloride at 6 months from the PAH diagnosis is a strong and independent predictor of mortality in patients with idiopathic or heritable PAH, even after adjusting serum sodium, renal function, diuretic, and prostacyclin analog usage.
Evaluating the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric Surgical Risk Calculator for Pediatric Craniosynostosis Surgery.

BACKGROUND The American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-P) risk calculator was developed based on national data. There have been no studies assessing the risk calculator's performance in pediatric neurosurgery. The authors aimed to evaluate the predictions from the risk calculator compared to our single institution experience in craniosynostosis surgery. METHODS Outcomes from craniosynostosis surgeries performed between 2012 and 2016 at our academic pediatric hospital were evaluated using the NSQIP-P risk calculator. Descriptive statistics were performed comparing predicted 30-day postoperative events and clinically observed outcomes. The performance of the calculator was evaluated using the Brier score and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). RESULTS A total of 202 craniosynostosis surgeries were included. Median age was 0.74 years (range 0.15-6.32); 66% were males. Blood transfusion occurred in 162/202 patients (80%). The following clinical characteristics were statistically correlated with surgical complications: American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification >1 (P < 0.001), central nervous system abnormality (P < 0.001), syndromic craniosynostosis (P = 0.001), and redo operations (P = 0.002). Postoperative events occurred in <3%, including hardware breakage, tracheal-cartilaginous sleeve associated with critical airway, and surgical site infection. The calculator performed well in predicting any complication (Brier = 0.067, ROC = 73.9%), and for pneumonia (Brier = 0.0049, ROC 99%). The calculator predicted a low rate of cardiac complications, venous thromboembolism, renal failure, reintubation, and death; the observed rate of these complications was 0. CONCLUSIONS The risk calculator demonstrated reasonable ability to predict the low number of perioperative complications in patients undergoing craniosynostosis surgery with a composite complications outcome. Efforts to improve the calculator may include further stratification based on procedure-specific risk factors.
Protective Al2O3 scale formation on NbAl3-base alloys

The oxidation of NbAl3 with additions of Cr and Y was studied to determine the mechanisms of the beneficial effects of these elements upon oxidation. Cr additions to the binary NbAl3 alloy of up to 6.8 at. percent reduced the scale growth rates and promoted alpha-Al2O3 formation over much longer times relative to binary NbAl3. A major effect of Cr is to form a layer of AlNbCr at the metal/scale interface, which is inherently more oxidation-resistant than the matrix alloy in the long term. Yttrium additions to a Cr-containing alloy improved the scale growth rate and adherence and changed the scale microstructure to mimic that of a typical protective Al2O3 scale.
The Women's Health Initiative: Lessons for Preventive Nutrition

Towards the end of the 1980s, considerable evidence was accumulating from observational studies and some short-term trials with non-disease endpoints that identified factors that might benefit women in their postmenopausal years. The balance of randomized trials prior to that point had been focused on men and men’s health. The confluence of scientific discovery and political will led to the design and ultimate funding of what was to be known as the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). Two main factors in this category were postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (hormone therapy), suggested to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), the number one cause of death among women, and total dietary fat reduction for purposes of reducing risk for breast and colorectal cancers, also major causes of death and disability among women. These became the two, overlapping, main trials that were the core of WHI.
Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Bone – Clinical Experience

ABSTRACT The use of radiation for sterilisation of musculoskeletal tissue allografts began more than fifty years ago. Based on irradiation of vascular tissues, the development of radiation as a sterilising method for bone has paralleled the popularity of bone transplantation. Historical research suggests that radiation at doses of 25-30 kGy has & minimal adverse effect on bone strength and healing, although effects on osteoinductivity are not fully researched. Future use of radiation may employ high doses to kill viruses and resistant bacteria with pre-treatment of grafts.
Remission of obesity among a nationally representative sample of US children.

Background Little is known about the incidence and natural history of obesity remission among children outside of weight loss programmes. Objectives The objectives are to characterize and identify sociodemographic and early life predictors of obesity remission between kindergarten and eighth grade among a nationally representative sample of US children. Methods The sample included children with obesity [age-specific and gender-specific body mass index percentile (BMI) ≥95] at the spring kindergarten assessment of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99. Weight categories across 8 years of follow-up were used to identify three transition patterns: persistent obesity remission, non-persistent obesity remission and non-remission. Weight, height and BMI changes between remission categories were examined and predictors of persistent remission were identified. Results One-third of children with obesity in kindergarten experienced remission during follow-up and 21.6% of children experienced persistent remission through eighth grade. Female gender and high socio-economic status predicted persistent remission; these associations were attenuated after accounting for baseline BMI. Children experiencing persistent remission gained less weight across waves than those experiencing non-remission. Conclusions A meaningful proportion of young children with obesity experience remission by eighth grade. Further study is needed to identify factors that support obesity remission among children outside of treatment contexts.
Bachmann bundle pacing

In der Schrittmacher- und ICD-Therapie wird die Vorhofelektrode meist im rechten Vorhofohr („right atrial appendage“, RAA) implantiert. Dies ist zwar einfach, birgt jedoch das Risiko negativer hamodynamischer und elektrophysiologischer Effekte. Atriale Erregungsausbreitung, atriale Kontraktion und atrioventrikulare Uberleitung konnen durch RAA-Stimulation verzogert und desynchronisiert werden. Dies kann zu Vorhofflimmern, einem stimulationsinduzierten langen AV-Block I°, unnotiger rechtsventrikularer Stimulation und Entwicklung einer Herzinsuffizienz fuhren. Eine hochseptale Stimulation nahe dem Vorhofdach, auf dem das Bachmann’sche Bundel verlauft, kann die negativen Folgen einer atrialen Stimulation aus dem Vorhofohr vermeiden und die atriale Erregung synchronisieren, wie die Verkurzung von PQ-Zeit und P‑Wellen-Dauer unter Bachmann-Bundel-Stimulation nahelegt. Einige Techniken zur Implantation atrialer Elektroden am Bachmann-Bundel werden hier vorgestellt, die abgesehen von einer Durchleuchtung in linksanterior obliquer Projektion im Vergleich zur RAA-Stimulation keinen zusatzlichen Implantationsaufwand benotigen. Klinische Studien zur hochseptalen und speziell zur Bachmann-Bundel-Stimulation sind rar. Eigene Daten zeigen einen positiven Effekt bei Patienten mit Sick-Sinus-Syndrom und paroxysmalem Vorhofflimmern, die mindestens 50 % der Zeit atrial stimuliert werden. Die Bachmann-Bundel-Stimulation stellt eine interessante und einfache Option zur optimierten Vorhofstimulation dar. Es ware wunschenswert, wenn diese Technik zur atrialen Elektrodenpositionierung weitere Verbreitung erfahren und zusatzliche Daten uber den klinischen Nutzen generiert wurden.
Immunotherapy in Ovarian Cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common cause of gynecological cancer-associated death in woman1. To date, there are no effective means of screening or early detection for this disease, and consequently, the majority of patients have advanced stage disease involving metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis2. The first-line therapy of EOC includes surgical debulking and platinum-based chemotherapy3. Although initial response is often excellent, patients oftentimes develop resistance to chemotherapy and succumb to their disease. Therefore, it is critical to develop novel treatment strategies to improve clinical outcomes. Current immunotherapy, including checkpoint blockade and adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT), has become a clinically effective treatment modality for a wide variety of cancer types. However, the application of immunotherapy in EOC is still being tested in clinical trials. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), positively correlating with patient survival, have now been recognized as a predictive biomarker for immunotherapy and chemotherapy responses3,4. In ovarian cancer, the presence of CD3+ T-cell and its correlation with improved clinical outcome had been observed in an early study, which establishes the validity of utilizing immunotherapy for EOC management5. Later studies demonstrated the prognostic significance of FOXP3+ Treg cells6 and/or the ratio of CD8+ T cells versus FOXP3+ Treg cells in ovarian cancer, and confirmed CD8+ T cells as important antitumor effectors6,7. CD8+ effector T cells, are poised to eliminate tumor cells after recognizing tumor associated antigens and particularly the neoantigens presented on the surface of tumor cells8. However, their activation and effector functions are often held in check and attenuated by inhibitory signals in the tumor microenvironment, which include inhibitory cytokines, immunosuppressive metabolites, and immunoinhibitor B7 family membersexpressed on the antigen presenting cells (APCs) and tumor cells9,10. Checkpoint blockade can restore the antitumor activity of effector T cells and mediate tumor regression11. Adoptive transfer of ex vivo-expanded tumor-specific T cells can directly increase the number of CD8+ effector T cells in tumor12. Cancer vaccine may activate TAA-specific CD8+ T cell response through APCs13. These immunotherapeutic strategies have been tested or are under development in ovarian cancer. The progress of immunotherapy in EOC will be discussed in this review.
Luminal Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder which can lead to progressive intestinal damage and debilitating complications over time. Therefore, obtaining an accurate assessment of disease activity is paramount for risk-stratifying patients and initiating or escalating therapy when appropriate. Within the classic management paradigm, treatment decisions have been largely predicated on patient-reported symptoms. However, more recent evidence suggests that the correlation between clinical symptoms and endoscopically active disease is poor. A significant proportion of patients in clinical remission will have unrecognized active disease; conversely, many patients with mucosal healing will continue to have symptoms. This disconnect highlights the fact that focusing solely on clinical remission will inevitably lead to either undertreating those with clinically silent disease or overtreating those with symptoms unrelated to their CD.
Conceptual Design of a Conduction-Cooled Superconducting Undulator

In superconducting undulators (SCUs) that are currently operating at the Advanced Photon Source, the undulator magnets are indirectly cooled with liquid helium penetrating through channels in the magnet cores. The liquid helium is stored in a tank that is cooled by cryocoolers. However, a cryogen-free version of a superconducting undulator in which the undulator magnets are conduction-cooled is also possible, as has been realized in the SCUs developed at ANKA. We are currently working on a conceptual design of a conduction-cooled planar superconducting undulator. The measured load lines of cryocoolers and the measured thermal conductance of various thermal links are used in the thermal analysis. Also, various materials for the undulator magnet cores are being considered. This paper reports the thermal design of a conduction-cooled planar SCU.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Diabetes Mellitus Are Associated With Post-Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Renal Dysfunction: An Advancing Liver Therapeutic Approaches Group Study.

Background and aims Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an effective intervention for portal hypertensive complications, but its effect on renal function is not well-characterized. Here, we describe renal function and characteristics associated with renal dysfunction at 30-days post-TIPS. Methods Adults with cirrhosis who underwent TIPS at nine hospitals in the US 2010-2015 were included. We defined "post-TIPS renal dysfunction" as a change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (ΔeGFR) ≤ -15ml/min/1.73m2 and eGFR ≤ 60ml/min/1.73m2 , or new renal replacement therapy (RRT) at day 30. We identified the characteristics associated with post-TIPS renal dysfunction by logistic regression and evaluated survival using adjusted competing risk regressions. Results Of 673 patients: median age 57 years, 38% female, 26% had diabetes, median MELDNa 17. Thirty days post-TIPS, 66 (10%) had renal dysfunction, of which 23 (35%) required new RRT. Patients with post-TIPS renal dysfunction, compared to those with stable renal function, were more likely to have NAFLD (33% versus 17%, p = 0.01) and comorbid diabetes (42% versus 24%, p Conclusions In this large multi-center cohort, we found NAFLD, diabetes, and baseline serum sodium associated with post-TIPS renal dysfunction. This study suggests that patients with NAFLD and diabetes undergoing TIPS evaluation may require additional attention to cardiac and renal comorbidities prior to proceeding with the procedure.
The impact of cognitive impairment on self‐regulatory styles in breast cancer survivors

OBJECTIVE Cognitive impairment (CI) is highly prevalent in breast cancer survivors (BCS), and can be a barrier to health-promoting behaviours. However, the ways in which CI may affect self-regulation or motivation to perform such behaviours have not been explored. We assessed if BCS with CI report greater extrinsic self-regulation compared to those without CI and if this relationship persists after controlling for depression. METHODS We recruited BCS with diabetes and assessed cognition and motivation to perform healthy diabetes management behaviours (e.g., diet and exercise). Participants completed a cognitive battery evaluating attention, working memory, executive functioning (EF), processing speed (PS), language and memory. The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ) assessed intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. Depression was determined by a score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Wilcoxon rank-sum test compared associations between CI and TSRQ scores. RESULTS Participants were 118 older adults (mean age 65 years). Participants with CI in the following domains had higher extrinsic self-regulation scores compared to those without CI: attention (p < 0.01), PS (p = 0.01), EF (p < 0.01), language (p = 0.02; p = 0.04) and memory (p = 0.04; p = 0.03). After adjusting for depression, the relationship between CI and higher extrinsic self-regulation scores remained significant. CONCLUSIONS BCS with CI appear to rely more on external sources of motivation to perform health behaviours, regardless of depression. Future studies and interventions to improve health behaviours should consider screening for CI and involving caregivers for those with CI to improve outcomes.
Sex Determination and Dosage Compensation: femaleless Is the Link in Anopheles Mosquitoes

A new study finds that the femaleless gene is essential for sexual development and repression of X-chromosome dosage compensation in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. This could provide the basis for a new genetic approach to control this pest.
Financial toxicity is common among gynecologic cancer patients.

In the USA, many patients experience unexpected out-of-pocket spending following a cancer diagnosis, including direct medical costs from health insurance plan’s cost-sharing requirements. The impact of these financial burdens may be exacerbated by lost income due to cancer treatment. This economic
Cartography and the other side of the clouds

Since they are by nature ephemeral and shapeless, clouds would seem to have little purpose in an early modern map. Yet they appear regularly, for a host of uses: to distinguish between the realm of...
Gender and Sexuality Politics in Post-conflict Northern Ireland: Policing Patriarchy and Heteronormativity Through Relationships and Sexuality Education

Due to conflicts of national identity and religion, human rights legislation has been integral to Northern Ireland’s post-war journey. As a result of this, the post-conflict generation of girls, female adolescents, and non-heterosexual, queer-identifying peoples have more rights, opportunities, and recognition in educational policy than generations prior. However, government reports show issues within the country’s Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) curricula, including that only one in five Northern Irish schools have touched upon lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) topics. This paper presents the first feminist post-structuralist analysis focusing on gender and sexual inequalities within the current national policy framework (as of September 2021) informing school-based RSE. Applying feminist critical discourse and content analysis to examine official government circulars, legislative text, and RSE policy guidance distributed to schools, feminist lenses are drawn on to examine four main sets of issues: bodies, sexual agency and pleasure, the inclusion of gender and sexual diversity, and heteronormativity. Findings show that despite human rights legislation and having statutory RSE with legislated content, central discourses within the national RSE policy framework impose a story of female victimization, problematize binary constructions of gender, participate in the erasure of non-binary identifying persons, and prioritize compulsory heteronormativity. Until inclusive, non-binary language and standardized content is prescribed within the minimum content found in legislation and deemed statutory by the Department of Education, young people will not receive uniform RSE, undermining the importance of gender and sexual inclusivity and diversity. Discourses illuminated within this paper may be drawn on by international policy actors and researchers to elucidate taken-for-granted or problematic language found within their own policies so that the rights of marginalized bodies and sexual identities are instilled and those who have been victimized may find empowerment.