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Background: In kidney transplantation, concerns have been raised regarding increased incidence of viral opportunistic infections in hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleic acid test (NAT)‐negative (‐) recipients who received HCV NAT‐positive (+) donor kidneys, specifically BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV). The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of these three viral opportunistic infections in HCV NAT‐ recipients who have undergone kidney transplantation with HCV NAT+ donor kidneys at our institution. Methods: This was an Institutional Review Board‐approved, single‐center, retrospective case‐control study of HCV NAT‐ kidney transplant recipients with HCV NAT+ donors from 2018 to 2021. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of viral infections of BKPyV, CMV, and/or EBV within 1 year following kidney transplantation. Results: A total of 231 patients were included, 77 in the exposed (donor HCV NAT+) group and 154 in the control (donor HCV NAT‐) group. The adjusted cumulative incidence of viremia within 1 year did not statistically differ between groups (77% exposed group versus 66% for the control group, hazard ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval 0.95–1.89). In addition, no statistically significant differences were observed for secondary outcomes with the exception of CMV viremia (62% exposed versus 49% control, p = 0.021). However, there were more patients in the exposed group at high risk for CMV viremia based on serostatus (CMV Donor+/Recipient‐, D+/R‐). Conclusion: Among patients who received HCV NAT+ donor kidneys, no clear association was observed between exposure to HCV NAT+ donor kidneys and viral infections of BKPyV, CMV, or EBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the transformative potential of low-cost digital twin systems, integrated with IoT, AI, and machine learning, to enable real-time monitoring, efficient management, and predictive insights for municipal solid waste, offering an optimized solution for smart cities. A digital twin framework is proposed with possible use cases. To minimize costs, a LoRA-enabled basic bin monitoring unit (BBMU) has been developed on the ESP32 platform. This unit provides real-time data on waste levels, gas concentrations, and humidity at various collection points, along with their corresponding GPS coordinates and is strategically installed on selected bins for the purpose of sample data collection. Trained on a dataset from Polish cities, different machine learning models were tested to predict waste generation across the city; the best and most efficient ANN model was chosen for deployment. The ANN model’s R2 score of 0.944 shows a significant correlation between the projected and actual values. A Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.998 implies a strong linear link between variables. Willmott’s index of agreement, 0.987, validated the excellent correlation of the ANN model’s predictions with the observed data. The ANN performed better than other models, as seen by their lower root mean squared error (8130.269) and mean absolute error (7656.989). The study highlights the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of digital twin technology in improving waste management practices, contributing to the sustainability of smart cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craniopharyngiomas are the most commonly presented nonglial tumors in child patients. They cause significant morbidity and mortality, both before and after surgery. The most common immediate postsurgery complications are attributable to pituitary insufficiency. Neurovascular complications account for only 2.7 to 2.9% surgical cases, and usually involve the vessels of the Circle of Willis. Thrombosis or vasospasm of the vessels of posterior circulation is unheard of. Here, we are reporting a unique case of a child with craniopharyngioma who developed acute spontaneous basilar artery thrombosis and posterior circulation stroke 6 days after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craniopharyngiomas are the most commonly presented nonglial tumors in child patients. They cause significant morbidity and mortality, both before and after surgery. The most common immediate postsurgery complications are attributable to pituitary insufficiency. Neurovascular complications account for only 2.7 to 2.9% surgical cases, and usually involve the vessels of the Circle of Willis. Thrombosis or vasospasm of the vessels of posterior circulation is unheard of. Here, we are reporting a unique case of a child with craniopharyngioma who developed acute spontaneous basilar artery thrombosis and posterior circulation stroke 6 days after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction  Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is the most common procedure used for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion in hydrocephalus. Over the years, many technical, procedural, and instrument-related advancements have taken place which have reduced the associated complication rates. Shunt block is a very common complication irrespective of the shunt system used. The abdominal end of the shunt tube gets blocked usually due to plugging of omentum onto the shunt catheter. We describe a technique of catheter fixation and placement under vision coupled with omentopexy done laparoscopically to prevent this complication. Materials and Methods  This technique was used in 23 patients (11 female, 12 male; range 16–73 years) afflicted with hydrocephalus from June 2016 and December 2019 after obtaining an informed consent, and the outcomes were noted in terms of shunt patency, complications, if any, and the need for revision. Results  The median operation time was 90 minutes (range 35–160 minutes). All shunt catheters were still functional after a mean follow-up of 16.5 months (range 1–34 months) and none required revision. Conclusion  Laparoscopic placement of shunt tube along with omental folding is a safe and effective technique for salvaging the abdominal end of VPS and may be helpful in reducing shunt blockage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Epidural analgesia is believed to be the most difficult technique to learn for a trainee. The reason for this is not only inexperience of the provider and the complexity of the technique but also patient factors like obesity, spinal deformity and others which makes the epidural placement difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate some of the common risk factors for difficult epidural placement as perceived by the anesthesia providers during training, with varying level of experience. Material and Methods: This prospective observational study includes patients who received epidural placement for labor analgesia. Data recorded on these patients included age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), ease of palpation of the spinous process, level of epidural placement, number of attempts, time taken for epidural placement and experience of the provider. The association between the variables were assessed using logistic regression for first attempt success and Cox proportional hazard ratio for time to epidural placement. Results: A total of 373 patients received epidural placement for labor analgesia. The mean BMI at the time of placement was 34. The first attempt success rate for the placement of epidural was 67% (n = 273). Women with well palpable spinous process were 3.3 times more likely to have a successful first attempt placement irrespective of the provider experience or BMI [3.39 (1.77-6.51), P < 0.001]. The time to placement was shorter in patients with good anatomical landmarks [1.58 (1.20-2.07), P < 0.001) and when performed by a trainee who had performed a minimum of 20 epidural procedures [1.57 (1.26-1.94), P < 0.001). Conclusion: Inability to palpate the spinous process contributes to multiple attempts at epidural placement when performed by a trainee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Li‐ion cells suffer from significant safety and performance problems due to overheating and thermal runaway. Effective thermal management can lead to increased energy conversion efficiency and energy storage density. Critical needs towards these goals include the capability to predict thermal behavior in extreme conditions and determine thermal management requirements to prevent thermal runaway. This paper presents an experimentally validated theoretical model to predict the temperature distribution in a cell in response to nonlinear heat generation rate that is known to occur during thermal runaway. This problem is solved by linearization of the nonlinear term over successive time intervals. Experimental measurements carried out on a thermal test cell in conditions similar to thermal runaway show good agreement with the theoretical model. Experimental measurements and model predictions indicate strong dependence of the fate of the cell on its reaction kinetics, thermal properties, and ambient conditions. Specifically, a sudden change in thermal runaway behavior is predicted once the ambient temperature crosses a certain threshold, consistent with past experimental observations. The impact of increasing cell thermal conductivity on improved thermal runaway performance is quantified. Results presented here provide a fundamental understanding of thermal runaway, and may lead to improved performance and safety of Li‐ion–based energy conversion and storage systems. Develops an analytical thermal runaway model to predict Li‐ion cell temperature under abuse conditions.Presents experimental validation for a wide variety of parameters.Experimentally demonstrates enhanced safety with increase in thermal conductivity.Analyzes effect of different heat transfer and reaction kinetics parameters on cell safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Physostigmine has long been recognized as an antidote to reverse anticholinergic delirium. However, its effectiveness, safety profile, and dosing have been disputed. Objectives:To describe effectiveness, adverse events, and dosing associated with the use of physostigmine to reverse anticholinergic delirium. Methods:A retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients reported to a regional poison center system between 2003 and 2012 who received physostigmine to reverse an anticholinergic toxidrome. Data extraction ofa prioridefined variables were recorded with concurrence of investigators. The cases were stratified by the primary ingestant as the presumed causative agent and associations for response were performed using odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CI’s), andpvalues. Results:Of the 1422 cases identified, 191 met the inclusion criteria. Patients exposed to non-diphenhydramine antihistamines (n = 14), antipsychotics (n = 4), and tricyclic antidepressants (n = 3) had 100% response to physostigmine, whereas anticholinergic plants (n = 46/67; 68.7%, OR: 0.70; CI: 0.36–1.35), diphenhydramine (n = 43/56; 64.2%, OR: 1.30; CI: 0.63–2.68), and combination products (n = 8/10; 80%, OR: 1.48; CI: 0.30–7.24) had partial response rates. Of the included patients, 142 (74.3%) were treated with physostigmine alone, and 16 (8.4%) of these patients were discharged directly from the emergency department (ED). Discussion:Most patients, 182 (95.3%), had no documented adverse effects. Four patients (2.1%) experienced emesis, two experienced QTc prolongation (1.0%), and two experienced seizures (1.0%). There was a single fatality 6 h after physostigmine administration. Average initial total doses of physostigmine ranged from 1.0 to 1.75 mg. Most patients were admitted to the ICU (n = 110; 57.6%), however, 36 (18.8%) patients were discharged directly from the ED. Conclusions:In this retrospective cohort study, physostigmine administration to reverse anticholinergic delirium had a good safety profile, and often improved or resolved anticholinergic delirium when administered in doses less than 2 mg. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Li-ion batteries are used widely for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Heat generation during the operation of a Li-ion cell results in large temperature rise, particularly at high discharge rates. Accurate prediction of temperature rise during operation is a key technical challenge that directly affects both performance and safety. Li-ion cells are often used in cyclic charge/discharge manner, making this a particularly important process to study. This paper presents an experimentally-validated analytical method to rapidly and accurately predict the temperature field in a Li-ion cell undergoing cyclic charge and discharge. Based on recursive solution of the governing energy equation during the cyclic process, this method computes temperature around 16X faster than finite-element simulations, and is found to be in very good agreement with experimental data for over fifty cycles of high-rate cycling of 18650 Li-ion cells. Results indicate that heat loss through the metal foil that provides electrical interconnection is a critical process that governs overall thermal behavior of the cell. A novel technique based on determining the effective heat transfer coefficient of the interconnection is described, which is shown to agree very well with experimental data. Results from this paper may be helpful for design of Li-ion cell systems, as well as real-time temperature prediction and performance optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal runaway is a well-known safety concern in Li-ion cells. Methods to predict and prevent thermal runaway are critically needed for enhanced safety and performance. While much work has been done on understanding the kinetics of various heat generation processes during thermal runaway, relatively lesser work exists on understanding how heat removal from the cell influences thermal runaway. Through a unified analysis of heat generation and heat removal, this paper derives and experimentally validates a non-dimensional parameter whose value governs whether or not thermal runaway will occur in a Li-ion cell. This parameter is named the Thermal Runaway Number ( TRN ), and comprises contributions from thermal transport within and outside the cell, as well as the temperature dependence of heat generation rate. Experimental data using a 26650 thermal test cell are in good agreement with the model, and demonstrate the dependence of thermal runaway on various thermal transport and heat generation parameters. This parameter is used to predict the thermal design space in which the cell will or will not experience thermal runaway. By combining all thermal processes contributing to thermal runaway in a single parameter, this work contributes towards a unified understanding of thermal runaway, and provides the fundamental basis for design tools for safe, high-performance Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugate heat transfer involving convection and conduction in a fluid flow and a solid body in contact with each other occurs commonly in engineering applications. While analytical solutions for individual convection and conduction problems are relatively easier, it is a lot more challenging to solve the combined conjugate heat transfer problem. In this paper, an iterative method is developed for analytically solving conjugate heat transfer problems. Based on an initial assumption of the temperature field at the solid–fluid interface, the temperature distributions in the fluid and solid body are determined by separately solving the governing energy conservation equations in the two domains. These solutions are used to improve the initial assumption of the interface temperature until convergence. It is found that only a few iterations of this process are needed for convergence. Temperature fields computed from this analytical approach are found to be in good agreement with finite element simulation results. The iterative analytical approach is used to solve two technologically relevant problems related to internal and external flows. Given the general nature of the iterative approach, results from this paper may be helpful in solving a variety of conjugate heat transfer problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgound: Intracranial cerebral aneurysms in the pediatric population are infrequent, and those occurring in infants less than 1 year old are extremely rare. Of intracranial aneurysms in children, dissecting aneurysms are the most common type seen. While spontaneous dissecting aneurysms usually present with ischemia, hemorrhage can also occur. Methods: A retrospective review of our patients revealed that from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2012, four infants were treated for ruptured distal dissecting intracranial aneurysms at Texas Children's Hospital. Mycotic aneurysms and collagen vascular disorder were excluded in all four cases. All patients presented in our series presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage, and three had intraventricular hemorrhage. All patients underwent conventional catheter angiography for diagnosis. All patients in this series were managed in the acute or subacute period with surgical or endovascular trapping without distal bypass procedures. All four patients tolerated sacrifice of the parent vessels feeding these distal aneurysms well. Case report and review of literature: We describe the presentation and management of these rare cases and then review the current literature on the management of these dissecting aneurysms in infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies from our lab have demonstrated that intermittent high-fat diet access reduces alcohol drinking in rats. However, it was unclear if caloric overload, palatability, or diet itself triggered reduced alcohol drinking. It is also unknown if a similar paradigm could reduce relapse-like alcohol drinking. The presented study tested the hypothesis that acute intermittent palatable diet (PD) access would rescue relapse-like drinking and palatability, but not diet itself contributes to reduced drinking. Male Long Evans rats received six-weeks intermittent or chronic chow (controls) or PDs (high-fat diet, high-sugar diet) exposure, and alcohol testing occurred following PDs suspension. Alcohol intake was not significantly different among groups in either condition, suggesting that diet itself did not impact alcohol drinking. A subset of these rats received two-weeks intermittent PDs (Int-PDs) exposure and alcohol testing reinitiated while Int-PDs access continued. Alcohol intake significantly escalated (~137% compared to baseline; alcohol deprivation effect) in the chow controls, whereas it remained unchanged in PD groups. These data demonstrate the critical importance of acute intermittent PDs availability and its protective effect in relapse-like drinking. To assess the contribution of palatability in reduced alcohol drinking, a separate group of rats received two-weeks intermittent high-sugar diet (Int-HSD) or saccharin (Int-SAC) access and tested for alcohol drinking while Int-HSD/SAC continued. Alcohol drinking significantly decreased (~30%) in both HSD and SAC groups compared to the controls. These data identify the critical parameters by which acute intermittent PD access reduces alcohol drinking and could have important therapeutic implications in the management of alcoholism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 75-year-old man with history of metastatic bladder cancer (4/2015) status post chemotherapy and thymoma (9/2015) status post resection, currently undergoing treatment with pembrolizumab, presented with fever, fatigue, and acute onset pancytopenia. Work-up revealed elevated ferritin, low fibrinogen, splenomegaly, elevated soluble CD25, and decreased natural killer cell activity. Bone marrow biopsy was performed to evaluate for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Biopsy showed a normocellular bone marrow with histiocytic hyperplasia and hemophagocytosis confirming the presumed diagnosis of HLH. He was started on treatment accordingly. It was later found that the patient had coexistent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation. Pembrolizumab is a monoclonal antibody used as first-line treatment for patients with certain tumors shown to have high PD-L1 expression on neoplastic cells. It is a second-line treatment for patients that have evidence of disease progression on or after platinum containing chemotherapy. This antibody specifically binds to PD-L1 receptors on T-cells (an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule) effectively blocking tumor cells with PD-L1 ligands from inactivating T-cells. Adverse side effects of pembrolizumab include immune-mediated infections along with thyroid dysfunction, colitis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus; however, there has been no report of its association with HLH. HLH is characterized by impaired T-cell and NK response during episodes of persistent and excessive activation of macrophages. The pathogenesis of HLH is related to defects in the regulatory pathways responsible for normal termination of the inflammatory response. The clinical signs and symptoms result from production of proinflammatory cytokines, mediated by uncontrolled activation of T-cells and antigen-presenting cells. The most common infectious trigger for HLH is viral infection. In this case, EBV was likely the primary cause, but the effects of concurrent PD-L1 inhibitor may have perpetuated the inappropriately prolonged T-cell activation, thereby facilitating the development of HLH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

California has some of the key agricultural regions in the United States. One of these key regions, San Joaquin Valley, frequently experiences severe droughts leading to shortage of irrigation water. This has a significant impact on the agricultural based economy of the region. It is imperative to develop new strategies to reduce overall water consumption in agriculture without affecting crop yield. A large fraction of irrigation water is lost due to the evapotranspiration (ET) process in the crops and the soil. The classical Penman-Monteith model has been used in the present work to analyze the effect of different environmental variables and water saving strategies on the ET. Some of the scenarios considered show potential for significant water savings without much reduction in the amount of sunlight available to facilitate crop growth. The central idea considered in this study is the use of canopy shading to cover the crop field resulting in reduction in the ET. Among the strategies considered, the most promising strategy is to partially cover the crop field for a certain part of the day by employing a partially covering retractable canopy. Based on numerical calculations, total reduction in ET is calculated to be 37% from June to August for the partially covering retractable canopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power quality is the main problem with the power system network. Poor electricity quality may cause disruptions and financial challenges for consumers. Additionally, it could cause electronic gadgets to overheat, be damaged, or operate inadvertently. Transformers and other components of the power distribution system may also overheat and experience core saturation. This study investigates potential problems with the quality of the electricity in a photovoltaic linked power system. This paper suggests a new optimization method for day-ahead trading and control in DC microgrid power management (MG). The goal of the multiobjective optimization dispatch (MOOD) problem is to lower overall operational costs as well as the costs associated with power loss in efficient conservation systems and exhaust emission quantities such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and carbon dioxide. Using the weighted sum approach, the multiobjective optimization problem is reduced to a single optimization problem. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method is then used to calculate the weight coefficients while accounting for each objective function's preferences. Power balancing, high levels of renewable energy penetration, the most effective scheduling of battery charging and discharging, control of load curtailment, and the technical limitations of the system are all taken into account when evaluating the system's performance in both grid-connected and standalone operation modes. The ant lion optimizer (ALO) technique is taken into account to tackle MOOD, comparing the effectiveness of the proposed method to other well-known heuristic optimization techniques. The simulation's results demonstrate how effectively the proposed strategy can address the coordinated control and optimization dispatch difficulties. They also found that operating the MG system economically in grid-connected mode can save overall costs by roughly 4.70% compared to doing it in independent mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a solar power plant, a solid phase transformer and an optimization coordinated controller are utilized to improve transient responsiveness. Transient stability issues in a contemporary electrical power system represent one of the difficult tasks for an electrical engineer due to the rise in uncertain renewable energy sources (RESs) as a result of the need for green energy. The potential for terminal voltage to be adversely impacted by this greater RES raises the possibility of electrical device damage. It is possible to use a solid state transformer (SST) or smart transformer to address a transient response issue. These devices are frequently employed to interact between RES and a power grid. SST features a variety of regulated converters to maintain the necessary voltage levels. This method can therefore simultaneously lessen power fluctuations and transient responsiveness. In order to improve the quality of RES power injections and the electrical system's transient stability, this work provides a controller design for a solar photovoltaic (SPV) system that is connected to the grid by SST. The optimization of a controller model is proposed by modifying a PI controller taken from a commercial one. With the use of IEEE 39 standard buses, the proposed controller is tested. When evaluating the effectiveness of a suggested controller, it is important to take into account a variety of solar radiation patterns as well as a time delay uncertainty that can range from 425 ms to 525 ms. According to simulation results, the proposed controller can be employed to lessen power fluctuation brought on by unpredictable RES. Additionally, the proposed coordinated regulation of SPV and SST can prevent catastrophic damage in the event of substantial disturbances like a circuit breaker collapsing to expand a power line due to a fault by inhibiting significant voltage cycles within an electronic appliance's rated voltage limit. The results indicate that a transitory stability issue in a modern power system caused by an unforeseen increase in RES may be addressed utilizing the suggested controllers as alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) although used for bone tissue engineering are limited by the requirement of isolation and culture prior to transplantation. Our recent studies have shown that biomaterial implants can be engineered to facilitate the recruitment of MSCs. In this study, we explore the ability of these implants to direct the recruitment and the differentiation of MSCs in the setting of a bone defect. We initially determined that both stromal derived factor-1alpha (SDF-1α) and erythropoietin (Epo) prompted different degrees of MSC recruitment. Additionally, we found that Epo and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), but not SDF-1α, triggered the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs in vitro. We then investigated the possibility of directing autologous MSC-mediated bone regeneration using a murine calvaria model. Consistent with our in vitro observations, Epo-releasing scaffolds were found to be more potent in bridging the defect than BMP-2 loaded scaffolds, as determined by computed tomography (CT) scanning, fluorescent imaging and histological analyses. These results demonstrate the tremendous potential, directing the recruitment and differentiation of autologous MSCs has in the field of tissue regeneration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Visual analogue scales (VAS) have commonly been used to assess appetite in children 8 years and older; however, these tools have been considered unreliable for children 7 years old and under. The objective of this pilot study was to develop a picture-based appetite assessment (PBAA) tool for children aged 4-10 years and pilot test it compared to a VAS-based appetite assessment. The study hypothesis was that the PBAA scores would decrease following the consumption of an ad libitum snack compared to the scores in the fasted state in children 4 to 10 years old; furthermore, there would be a good level of agreement (intraclass correlation coefficients >0.75) between the appetite scores by the PBAA and VAS tools in children aged 8 years or older. At Visit 1, in a fasted state, all children (n = 15) completed the PBAA. Children who were 8-10 years old (n = 8) also completed the VAS-based appetite assessment. Then, an ad libitum snack was provided, and appetite assessments were repeated at 5-, 30- and 60-minutes post-snack. The same assessments were completed at visit 2 pre (fasting)- and post-consumption of a snack containing 25% of the amount consumed at visit 1 (limited snack). PBAA scores were different across time (P <.001) and between types of meal (ad libitum vs limited snack) (P =.015) in all children. A good agreement between the PBAA and VAS scores at 30 and 60 minutes after both types of meal was found (intraclass correlation coefficients >0.75). The PBAA tool was able to detect expected changes in appetite sensations and was in good agreement with the VAS instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the success of immune checkpoint blockade against melanoma, many "cold" tumors like prostate cancer remain unresponsive. We found that hypoxic zones were prevalent across preclinical prostate cancer and resisted T cell infiltration even in the context of CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade. We demonstrated that the hypoxia-activated prodrug TH-302 reduces or eliminates hypoxia in these tumors. Combination therapy with this hypoxia-prodrug and checkpoint blockade cooperated to cure more than 80% of tumors in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate-derived (TRAMP-derived) TRAMP-C2 model. Immunofluorescence imaging showed that TH-302 drives an influx of T cells into hypoxic zones, which were expanded by checkpoint blockade. Further, combination therapy reduced myeloid-derived suppressor cell density by more than 50%, and durably reduced the capacity of the tumor to replenish the granulocytic subset. Spontaneous prostate tumors in TRAMP transgenic mice, which completely resist checkpoint blockade, showed minimal adenocarcinoma tumor burden at 36 weeks of age and no evidence of neuroendocrine tumors with combination therapy. Survival of Pb-Cre4, Ptenpc-/-Smad4pc-/- mice with aggressive prostate adenocarcinoma was also significantly extended by this combination of hypoxia-prodrug and checkpoint blockade. Hypoxia disruption and T cell checkpoint blockade may sensitize some of the most therapeutically resistant cancers to immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. There are limited resources for long-term specialist follow-up after bariatric surgery. In selected centres, patients can access a postoperative support group, but there is no clear evidence to guide their delivery. Materials and Methods. A retrospective study of bariatric surgery patients (n = 152) who had been discharged from specialist follow-up (mean time since surgery 5.5 years), covering weight history, physical and psychosocial comorbidities, and the need for a postoperative bariatric support group. Results. Fifty-eight percent wanted a postbariatric surgery patient support group. This was not associated with operation type or the amount of weight lost or regained. However, those who wanted a support group were significantly more likely to be struggling to keep the weight off, to be unhappy with the way they look, or to be experiencing difficulties returning to work. Conclusions. These data point to an unmet patient requirement for a postoperative support group that is independent of weight loss success. More research is required to ascertain how such a group should be delivered, but our data would suggest that supporting patients with weight loss maintenance, body image, and return to work is an important part of postoperative care, and these needs extend well beyond the immediate period of specialist follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) represents a collaborative vision shared by NASA, regulatory agencies, and global industry leaders, aimed at establishing a robust and reliable air transportation ecosystem, which is expected to facilitate safe and efficient movement of both people and cargo within urban, suburban, and regional environments. This paper presents a holistic review and analysis encompassing various aircraft designs, including different propulsion system designs and architectures (electric, hybrid electric, turboelectric, etc.), for different AAM aircraft applications, and state-of-the-art air traffic management, cybersecurity, and infrastructure strategies. Recent academic and industry literature on these aspects is critically reviewed and summarized, and a compilation of the aircraft models currently in development is also provided. The aircraft designs are categorized into a set of core groups, which include lift + cruise, tilt-wing, tiltrotor, multirotor, and rotorcraft, to analyze the existing literature systematically. For each of these core groups, literature on different propulsion system designs and architectures is reviewed and analyzed. Next, these core groups, including their variations based on propulsion system designs and architectures, are analyzed through a set of evaluation lenses. This provides a comprehensive insight into their respective strengths, weakness, and gaps in design considerations. The identified lenses include range and payload, performance, environmental impact, feasibility, traffic and infrastructure, noise, vehicle safety, and cybersecurity. Finally, directions for future research in AAM aircraft and overall ecosystem development are identified. In general, a more in-depth, quantitative analysis on the various evaluation lenses identified in this study and appropriate consideration to all these evaluation lenses at the design and development stage are highly recommended. This type of holistic approach will drive AAM aircraft designs towards convergence and help build an efficient, affordable, and sustainable AAM ecosystem. • A compilation of state-of-the-art AAM aircrafts developed by the industry. • Comprehensive evaluation of various AAM aircraft designs, including rotor configuration and propulsion architectures. • Evaluation of the key components of the overall AAM ecosystem specific to vehicle operation. • Discussion on the research outlook for all the evaluation lenses analyzed in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota are known to play paramount role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Innovative sequencing methods have radically expanded our ability to analyze the intestinal microbiome. However, alterations of the GI microbiome in IBD have not yet been fully evaluated. Irregular colonization of the gut has been implicated in chronic intestinal inflammation. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a procedure which aims to restore microbial disturbances to the individual's gut microbiome. The success of FMT in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has inspired studies to explore transplantation in other conditions such as IBD. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), the two principal manifestations of IBD, are emerging as a worldwide epidemic and are multifactorial in aetiology. There have been various case series in the past looking at the use of FMT in IBD, with a large number of them focusing on UC; however, two new randomized controlled trials shed up-to-date light on the complex interactions between the GI microbiome and patients. Regardless of these new studies, much more remains unknown about the efficacy and safety profile of FMT in IBD, ultimately casting a shadow over its use as a therapeutic intervention in conditions other than CDI. Further researches are necessary to fully evaluate the role of FMT as a management option in IBD. In this review, we discuss and summarize the functions of FMT in IBD, and the relationship between IBD and the GI microbial variations present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mismatch between fatty acid availability and utilization leads to cellular/organ dysfunction during cardiometabolic disease states (e.g., obesity, diabetes mellitus). This can precipitate cardiac dysfunction. The heart adapts to increased fatty acid availability at transcriptional, translational, post-translational and metabolic levels, thereby attenuating cardiomyopathy development. We have previously reported that the cardiomyocyte circadian clock regulates transcriptional responsiveness of the heart to acute increases in fatty acid availability (e.g., short-term fasting). The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the cardiomyocyte circadian clock plays a role in adaptation of the heart to chronic elevations in fatty acid availability. Fatty acid availability was increased in cardiomyocyte-specific CLOCK mutant (CCM) and wild-type (WT) littermate mice for 9 weeks in time-of-day-independent (streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes) and dependent (high fat diet meal feeding) manners. Indices of myocardial metabolic adaptation (e.g., substrate reliance perturbations) to STZ-induced diabetes and high fat meal feeding were found to be dependent on genotype. Various transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms were investigated, revealing that Cte1 mRNA induction in the heart during STZ-induced diabetes is attenuated in CCM hearts. At the functional level, time-of-day-dependent high fat meal feeding tended to influence cardiac function to a greater extent in WT versus CCM mice. Collectively, these data suggest that CLOCK (a circadian clock component) is important for metabolic adaption of the heart to prolonged elevations in fatty acid availability. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Heart Lipid Metabolism edited by G.D. Lopaschuk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]