Side effects from epidural analgesia in laboring women and risk of cesarean delivery.

Background: Epidural analgesia may cause maternal hypotension and changes in the fetal heart rate. The implications of such side effects on the course of labor and delivery are incompletely understood.

Objective: This study aimed to assess whether the occurrence of maternal or fetal side effects associated with labor epidural analgesia increased the risk for cesarean delivery.

Thermodynamics of continental deformation.

Continental deformation is known to be controlled by the interplay between tectonic and gravitational forces modulated by thermal relaxation-controlled lithospheric strength leading to oscillations around an equilibrium state, or to runaway extension. Using data-driven thermomechanical modelling of the Alpine Himalayan Collision Zone, we demonstrate how deviations from an equilibrium between mantle dynamics, plate-boundary forces, and the thermochemical configuration of the lithosphere control continental deformation. We quantify such balance between the internal energy of the plate and tectonic forces in terms of a critical crustal thickness, that match the global average of present-day continental crust.

Are sex and gender considered in head and neck cancer clinical studies?

We analyzed the inclusion of sex and/or gender (S/G) in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) clinical studies, through inspecting ClinicalTrials.gov (AACT) and the mention of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) on a specific subgroup, namely oral cavity, larynx and oropharynx. Only 5% of HNC studies mention S/G as a planned analytical variable.

Strategies to Promote Vaccine Uptake in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the "Ladder of Intrusiveness" in Three Countries.

Context: A key task for countries around the world facing the COVID-19 pandemic was to achieve high vaccination coverage of the population. To overcome "vaccination inertia," governments adopted a variety of policy instruments. These instruments can be placed along a "ladder of intrusiveness" based on their degree of constraint of individual freedoms.