Relationship between volume and outcome for surgery on congenital diaphragmatic hernia: A systematic review.

Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare and life-threatening anomaly that needs surgical therapy after clinical stabilization of the neonate. Given an existing volume-outcome relationship for other high-risk, low volume procedures, we aimed at examining the relationship between hospital or surgeon volume and outcomes for surgery on CDH.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search in multiple databases in September 2019 and searched for additional literature.

Investigating the impact of alpha/beta and LET on relative biological effectiveness in scanned proton beams: An in vitro study based on human cell lines.

Purpose: A relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1 is commonly used in clinical proton therapy, irrespective of tissue type and depth. This in vitro study was conducted to quantify the RBE of scanned protons as a function of the dose-averaged linear energy transfer (LET ) and the sensitivity factor (α/ß) .

Association of Body Mass Index With Colorectal Cancer Risk by Genome-Wide Variants.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is a complex phenotype that may interact with genetic variants to influence colorectal cancer risk.

Methods: We tested multiplicative statistical interactions between BMI (per 5 kg/m2) and approximately 2.7 million single nucleotide polymorphisms with colorectal cancer risk among 14 059 colorectal cancer case (53.

Binge and Cannabis Co-Use Episodes in Relation to White Matter Integrity in Emerging Adults.

Growing evidence suggests that cannabis and alcohol (and especially binge alcohol drinking) use independently alters neural structure and functioning, particularly during sensitive developmental time periods (e.g., emerging adulthood).

Hypokalemia and the Prevalence of Primary Aldosteronism.

Hypokalemia is closely linked with the pathophysiology of primary aldosteronism (PA). Although hypokalemic PA is less common than the normokalemic course of the disease, hypokalemia is of particular importance for the manifestation and development of comorbidities. Specifically, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that hypokalemia in PA patients is associated with a more severe disease course regarding cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity and mortality.

The Effect of Sprouting in Lentil () Nutritional and Microbiological Profile.

Biological and vegetarian raw food products, in particular based on legume sprouts, are an increasing food trend, due to their improved nutritional value when compared to seeds. Herein, protein and mineral profiles were studied in 12 lentil varieties, with varieties Du Puy, Kleine Schwarze, Rosana, Flora, Große Rote and Kleine Späths II demonstrating the highest protein percentages. After sprouting, protein percentages increased significantly in 10 of the 12 varieties, with the highest increases ranging between 20-23% in Dunkelgrün Marmorierte, Du Puy, Große Rote and Kleine Späths II varieties.

Elucidation of bio-inspired hydroxyapatie crystallization on oxygen-plasma modified 3D printed poly-caprolactone scaffolds.

Bioapatite formation in bones is a slow process starting with deposition of calcium phosphate and then its nucleation and crystallization into hydroxyapatite crystals. If the same process can be replicated on tissue engineered scaffolds, it will result in the formation of biomimetic bone constructs that will have comparable mechanical properties to native tissue. To mimic the same process on 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds oxygen plasma treatment was performed to modify their surface chemistry.

Helping women veterans quit smoking: a qualitative analysis of successful and unsuccessful attempts.

Background: Tobacco use is the number one cause of death and disability of women in the United States, and our women Veteran population is disproportionately affected. Despite revisions to the Veterans Affairs' approach to smoking cessation, women continue to smoke at equal or higher rates than men, are prescribed cessation medications less frequently, and are less likely to quit. In this qualitative pilot study, individual interviews with women Veterans revealed their experiences with smoking cessation attempts.

Functional informed genome-wide interaction analysis of body mass index, diabetes and colorectal cancer risk.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) and diabetes are established risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC), likely through perturbations in metabolic traits (e.g. insulin resistance and glucose homeostasis).

AMADEE-18 and the Analog Mission Performance Metrics Analysis: A Benchmarking Tool for Mission Planning and Evaluation.

Analog research of human or combined human and robotic missions is an established tool to explore the workflows, instruments, risks, and challenges of future planetary surface missions in a representative terrestrial environment. Analog missions that emulate selected aspects of such expeditions have risen in number, expanded their range of disciplines covered, and seen a significant increase in their operational and programmatic impact on mission planning. We propose a method to compare analog missions across agencies, disciplines, and complexities/fidelities to improve scientific output and mission safety and maximize effectiveness and efficiency.

Evidence for binary Smc complexes lacking kite subunits in archaea.

SMC complexes play a central role in chromosome organization in all domains of life. The bacterial Smc-ScpAB complex is a three-subunit complex composed of Smc, ScpA and ScpB. ScpA bridges the two ATPase domains of the Smc homodimer, while ScpB, which belongs to the kite family of proteins, interacts with ScpA.

The Determination of Immunomodulation and Its Impact on Survival of Rectal Cancer Patients Depends on the Area Comprising a Tissue Microarray.

Background: T cell density in colorectal cancer (CRC) has proven to be of high prognostic importance. Here, we evaluated the influence of a hyperfractionated preoperative short-term radiation protocol (25 Gy) on immune cell density in tumor samples of rectal cancer (RC) patients and on patient survival. In addition, we assessed spatial tumor heterogeneity by comparison of analogue T cell quantification on full tissue sections with digital T cell quantification on a virtually established tissue microarray (TMA).

Making a Place for Space: A Demographic Spatial Perspective on Living Arrangements Among the Elderly in Historical Europe.

Much of the previous scholarship on the historical living arrangements of the aged has taken place without the benefit of large-scale harmonised census microdata and did not embrace even rudimentary forms of spatial modelling. Drawing on the pooled cross-sectional census microdata from the North Atlantic Population and Mosaic projects, we derive measures of intergenerational co-residence among the elderly for 277 regional populations from Catalonia to the Urals during the demographic ancien régime and thereafter. To examine the historical geography of living arrangements among the elderly, the spatial patterns in our data are assessed using formal tools of Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis.

Ovarian and Breast Cancer Risks Associated With Pathogenic Variants in RAD51C and RAD51D.

Background: The purpose of this study was to estimate precise age-specific tubo-ovarian carcinoma (TOC) and breast cancer (BC) risks for carriers of pathogenic variants in RAD51C and RAD51D.

Methods: We analyzed data from 6178 families, 125 with pathogenic variants in RAD51C, and 6690 families, 60 with pathogenic variants in RAD51D. TOC and BC relative and cumulative risks were estimated using complex segregation analysis to model the cancer inheritance patterns in families while adjusting for the mode of ascertainment of each family.

The Prognostic Implications of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are an important histopathologic feature of colorectal cancer that confer prognostic information. Previous clinical and epidemiologic studies have found that the presence and quantification of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are significantly associated with disease-specific and overall survival in colorectal cancer. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis, establishing pooled estimates for survival outcomes based on the presence of TILs in colon cancer.

Chitin and chitosan remodeling defines vegetative development and Trichoderma biocontrol.

Fungal parasitism depends on the ability to invade host organisms and mandates adaptive cell wall remodeling to avoid detection and defense reactions by the host. All plant and human pathogens share invasive strategies, which aid to escape the chitin-triggered and chitin-targeted host immune system. Here we describe the full spectrum of the chitin/chitosan-modifying enzymes in the mycoparasite Trichoderma atroviride with a central role in cell wall remodeling.

Mendelian Randomization of Circulating Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Colorectal Cancer Risk.

Background: Results from epidemiologic studies examining polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and colorectal cancer risk are inconsistent. Mendelian randomization may strengthen causal inference from observational studies. Given their shared metabolic pathway, examining the combined effects of aspirin/NSAID use with PUFAs could help elucidate an association between PUFAs and colorectal cancer risk.

CD73 Blockade Promotes Dendritic Cell Infiltration of Irradiated Tumors and Tumor Rejection.

The ability of focal radiotherapy to promote priming of tumor-specific CD8 T cells and increase responses to immunotherapy is dependent on infiltration of the tumor by Batf3-dependent conventional dendritic cell type 1 (cDC1) cells. Such infiltration is driven by radiotherapy-induced IFN type I (IFN-I). Other signals may also modulate cDC1 infiltration of irradiated tumors.

The risk of febrile seizures following influenza and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

Background: Evidence on the risk of febrile seizures after inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) is mixed. In the FDA-sponsored Sentinel Initiative, we examined risk of febrile seizures after IIV and PCV13 in children 6-23 months of age during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 influenza seasons.

Methods: Using claims data and a self-controlled risk interval design, we compared the febrile seizure rate in a risk interval (0-1 days) versus control interval (14-20 days).

Development of an experimental setup for in situ visualization of lyophilization using neutron radiography and computed tomography.

This article shows a new conceptional design of an experimental setup for in situ visualization of the lyophilization process using neutron radiography and computed tomography and its validation. The setup is designed for the neutron imaging beam line ANTARES at FRM II, considering all the requirements for this method. Neutrons are ideally suited to detect water in a sample because of the high neutron attenuation of hydrogen, whereas other materials like aluminum have a low absorption of neutrons resulting in an image where the drying fronts in bulk materials are observable.

Physical activity and risks of breast and colorectal cancer: a Mendelian randomisation analysis.

Physical activity has been associated with lower risks of breast and colorectal cancer in epidemiological studies; however, it is unknown if these associations are causal or confounded. In two-sample Mendelian randomisation analyses, using summary genetic data from the UK Biobank and GWA consortia, we found that a one standard deviation increment in average acceleration was associated with lower risks of breast cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.

Enzymes revolutionize the bioproduction of value-added compounds: From enzyme discovery to special applications.

Competitive sustainable production in industry demands new and better biocatalysts, optimized bioprocesses and cost-effective product recovery. Our review sheds light on the progress made for the individual steps towards these goals, starting with the discovery of new enzymes and their corresponding genes. The enzymes are subsequently engineered to improve their performance, combined in reaction cascades to expand the reaction scope and integrated in whole cells to provide an optimal environment for the bioconversion.