Three-dimensional aortic arch geometry and blood flow in neonates after surgical repair for aortic coarctation.

Background: Recurrent coarctation of the aorta (re-CoA) is a well-known although not fully understood complication after surgical repair, typically occurring in 10%-20% of cases within months after discharge.

Objectives: To (1) characterize geometry of the aortic arch and blood flow from pre-discharge magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in neonates after CoA repair; and (2) compare these measures between patients that developed re-CoA within 12 months after repair and patients who did not.

Methods: Neonates needing CoA repair, without associated major congenital heart defects, were included.

Habituation of the biological response to repeated psychosocial stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Recurrent psychosocial stress poses a significant health challenge, prompting research into mechanisms of successful adaptation. Physiological habituation, defined as decreased reactivity to repeated stressors, is pivotal in protecting the organism from allostatic load. Here, we systematically review and meta-analyze data from studies investigating the capacity of central stress systems to habituate when repeatedly exposed to a standardized psychosocial stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (k = 47).

Molecular breath profile of acute COPD exacerbations.

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) show high variability in individual susceptibility and promote disease progression; thus, accurate diagnosis and treatment is essential. Unravelling the molecular metabolic changes during AECOPD in breath could promote understanding of AECOPD and its treatment. Our objective was to investigate the metabolic breath profiles during AECOPD for biomarker detection.

A clinical phenotype of VEXAS syndrome with pleural effusion, infiltrates, and systemic inflammation in a 76-year-old patient: a case report.

Introduction: VEXAS syndrome, characterized by a UBA1 gene mutation, is a rare and severe systemic inflammatory disease predominantly affecting men. Since its initial description in 2020, it has been noted for its broad clinical phenotype and frequent misdiagnosis.

Case Presentation: A 76-year-old Caucasian male patient diagnosed with VEXAS syndrome is presented in this case report.

Discordance between taxonomy and population genomic data: An avian example relevant to the United States Endangered Species Act.

Population genomics can reveal cryptic biological diversity that may impact fitness while simultaneously serving to delineate relevant conservation units. Here, we leverage the power of whole-genome resequencing for conservation by studying 433 individual lesser prairie-chicken (; LEPC, a federally endangered species of conservation concern in the United States) and greater prairie-chicken (; GRPC, a legally huntable species throughout much of its range). The genomic diversity of two formally recognized distinct population segments (DPSs) of LEPCs is similar, but they are genetically distinct.

Lesser prairie-chicken dispersal after translocation: Implications for restoration and population connectivity.

Conservation translocations are frequently inhibited by extensive dispersal after release, which can expose animals to dispersal-related mortality or Allee effects due to a lack of nearby conspecifics. However, translocation-induced dispersals also provide opportunities to study how animals move across a novel landscape, and how their movements are influenced by landscape configuration and anthropogenic features. Translocation among populations is considered a potential conservation strategy for lesser prairie-chickens ().

Diagnostic accuracy of prenatal ultrasound in coarctation of aorta: systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal ultrasound in detecting coarctation of the aorta (CoA).

Methods: An individual participant data meta-analysis was performed to report on the strength of association and diagnostic accuracy of different ultrasound signs in detecting CoA prenatally. MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched for studies published between January 2000 and November 2021.

Fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging of the descending aorta in suspected left-sided cardiac obstructions.

Background: Severe left-sided cardiac obstructions are associated with high morbidity and mortality if not detected in time. The correct prenatal diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is difficult. Fetal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) may improve the prenatal diagnosis of complex congenital heart defects.

Comparison of two reaction-time-based and one foraging-based behavioral approach-avoidance tasks in relation to interindividual differences and their reliability.

Approaching rewards and avoiding punishments is a fundamental aspect of behavior, yet individuals differ in the extent of these behavioral tendencies. One popular method to assess differences in approach-avoidance tendencies and even modify them, is using behavioral tasks in which spontaneous responses to differently valenced stimuli are assessed (e.g.

Mechanical and Plasma Electrolytic Polishing of Dental Alloys.

(1) Background: In dentistry, a reduction in surface roughness is established mostly by conventional mechanical polishing to hinder biofilm adhesion. This is time- and labor-intensive. Plasma electrolytic polishing is believed to be an effective finishing method due to the reduced treatment time and materials used for applications in dentistry.

The relevance of NMDA receptor antibody-specific index for diagnosis and prognosis in patients with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

The clinical implications of the presence of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-specific intrathecal immunoglobulin G synthesis and whether it determines the diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis have not been thoroughly investigated yet. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the detection of intrathecal anti-NMDAR-specific IgG synthesis contributes to the diagnostic confirmation of anti-NMDAR encephalitis, to disease severity, and to prognosis in patients with positive serum anti-NMDAR-IgG. In this study, patients with detectable anti-NMDAR IgG in serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were included and separated into two groups that either met the 2016 criteria by Graus et al.

Melding wildlife surveys to improve conservation inference.

Integrated models are a popular tool for analyzing species of conservation concern. Species of conservation concern are often monitored by multiple entities that generate several datasets. Individually, these datasets may be insufficient for guiding management due to low spatio-temporal resolution, biased sampling, or large observational uncertainty.

The effects of hydrocortisone and yohimbine on human behavior in approach-avoidance conflicts.

Rationale: Balancing approach of positive and avoidance of negative stimuli is essential when faced with approach-avoidance conflicts, e.g., situations with both positive and negative outcomes.

Study on the Interaction of Plasma-Polymerized Hydrogel Coatings with Aqueous Solutions of Different pH.

Amphiphilic hydrogels from mixtures of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate p(HEMA-co-DEAEMA) with specific pH sensitivity and hydrophilic/hydrophobic structures were designed and polymerized via plasma polymerization. The behavior of plasma-polymerized (pp) hydrogels containing different ratios of pH-sensitive DEAEMA segments was investigated concerning possible applications in bioanalytics. In this regard, the morphological changes, permeability, and stability of the hydrogels immersed in solutions of different pHs were studied.

A Highly Contiguous and Annotated Genome Assembly of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus).

The Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; LEPC) is an iconic North American prairie grouse, renowned for ornate and spectacular breeding season displays. Unfortunately, the species has disappeared across much of its historical range, with corresponding precipitous declines in contemporary population abundance, largely due to climatic and anthropogenic factors. These declines led to a 2022 US Fish and Wildlife decision to identify and list two distinct population segments (DPSs; i.

Demographic effects of a megafire on a declining prairie grouse in the mixed-grass prairie.

Recent studies have documented benefits of small, prescribed fire and wildfire for grassland-dependent wildlife, such as lesser prairie-chickens (), but wildlife demographic response to the scale and intensity of megafire (wildfire >40,000 ha) in modern, fragmented grasslands remains unknown. Limited available grassland habitat makes it imperative to understand if increasing frequency of megafires could further reduce already declining lesser prairie-chicken populations, or if historical evolutionary interactions with fire make lesser prairie-chickens resilient. To evaluate lesser prairie-chicken demographic response to megafires, we compared lek counts, nest density, and survival rates of adults, nests, and chicks before (2014-2016) and after (2018-2020) a 2017 megafire in the mixed-grass prairie of Kansas, USA (Starbuck fire ~254,000 ha).

Comparison of 2D and 4D Flow MRI in Neonates Without General Anesthesia.

Background: Neonates with critical congenital heart disease require early intervention. Four-dimensional (4D) flow may facilitate surgical planning and improve outcome, but accuracy and precision in neonates are unknown.

Purpose: To 1) validate two-dimensional (2D) and 4D flow MRI in a phantom and investigate the effect of spatial and temporal resolution; 2) investigate accuracy and precision of 4D flow and internal consistency of 2D and 4D flow in neonates; and 3) compare scan time of 4D flow to multiple 2D flows.

Human Gingival Fibroblast Adhesion and Proliferation on Hydroxyapatite-Coated Zirconia Abutment Surfaces.

Applying antibacterial coatings to dental implant materials seems reasonable but can have negative influences on desired cell adhesion and healing. In this study, zirconia abutment specimens interacting with gingival tissue were used. The aim was to compare the influence of machined or coated zirconia surfaces on the adhesion and proliferation of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1).

Stimulation of the cuneiform nucleus enables training and boosts recovery after spinal cord injury.

Severe spinal cord injuries result in permanent paraparesis in spite of the frequent sparing of small portions of white matter. Spared fibre tracts are often incapable of maintaining and modulating the activity of lower spinal motor centres. Effects of rehabilitative training thus remain limited.

[High prenatal detection rates of complex congenital heart defects (CHD)].

Aim: To analyze prenatal detection rates of complex CHD after the implementation of an expanded three-tiered screening model at the Skane University Hospitals in Lund and Malmö in 2015.  Methods: Retrospective review of pregnancies screened from January 1, 2015 and being born by June 30, 2018. Complex CHD was defined as needing intervention in the first year of life.

Gathering Global Perspectives to Establish the Research Priorities and Minimum Data Sets for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Sampling Strategy of the First Round Consensus Surveys of AO Spine RECODE-DCM.

Study Design: Survey.

Introduction: AO Spine Research Objectives and Common Data Elements for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (AO Spine RECODE-DCM) is an international initiative that aims to accelerate knowledge discovery and improve outcomes by developing a consensus framework for research. This includes defining the top research priorities, an index term and a minimum data set (core outcome set and core data elements set - core outcome set (COS)/core data elements (CDE)).

[Norms of the German Version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS-G) - Self-Assessment Scale on a German-Speaking Sample].

Problem: The German version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS-G) is an instrument for the assessment of sensitivity. Validity of the scale was confirmed in prior research (Konrad & Herzberg, 2017). This paper provides norm values of the HSPS-G for German-speaking countries.