Abbe Flap Division Before Two Weeks' Time: Harmful or Advantageous?

Introduction: The Abbe flap is a standard intervention to treat upper lip deformities in patients with bilateral cleft lip. This two-stage procedure requires a 2 to 3-week period in which the superior and inferior lips remain connected. This study evaluates the safety of Abbe flap division and inset prior to 14 days' time.

Geometry and convergence of natural policy gradient methods.

We study the convergence of several natural policy gradient (NPG) methods in infinite-horizon discounted Markov decision processes with regular policy parametrizations. For a variety of NPGs and reward functions we show that the trajectories in state-action space are solutions of gradient flows with respect to Hessian geometries, based on which we obtain global convergence guarantees and convergence rates. In particular, we show linear convergence for unregularized and regularized NPG flows with the metrics proposed by Kakade and Morimura and co-authors by observing that these arise from the Hessian geometries of conditional entropy and entropy respectively.

Biomechanical comparison of two different compression screws for the treatment of odontoid fractures in human dens axis specimen.

Background: Lag screw osteosynthesis for odontoid fractures has a high rate of pseudoarthrosis, especially in elderly patients. Besides biomechanical properties of the different screw types, insufficient fragment compression or unnoticed screw stripping may be the main causing factors for this adverse event. The aim of the study was to compare two screws in clinical use with different design principles in terms of compression force and stability against screw stripping.

Contiguous Silver(I)-Mediated Base Pairs of Imidazophenanthroline and Canonical Nucleobases in DNA Duplexes: Formation of Classical Duplexes versus Homodimer Formation.

Metal-mediated base pairs represent a topical alternative to canonical hydrogen-bonded base pairs. In this context, the ligand 1-imidazo[4,5-][1,10]phenanthroline () was introduced as an artificial nucleobase in a glycol nucleic acid-based nucleoside analogue into a DNA oligonucleotide in a way that the oligonucleotide contains a central block of six contiguous residues. The ability to engage in Ag-mediated base pairing was evaluated with respect to the four canonical nucleosides in positions complementary to .

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Modification of PTP Expression.

Alteration of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) gene expression is a commonly used approach to experimentally analyze their function in the cell physiology of mammalian cells. Here, exemplified for receptor-type PTPRJ (Dep-1, CD148) and PPTRC (CD45), we provide the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated approaches for their inactivation and transcriptional activation using genome editing. These methods are generally applicable to any other protein of interest.

Lactate: The Fallacy of Oversimplification.

Almost a quarter of a millennium after the discovery of an acidic substance in sour milk by Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele and more than 100 years after the demonstration of a tight connection between this lactic acid and tissue hypoxia in shock, we are still surrounded by false beliefs and misunderstandings regarding this fascinating molecule. Common perceptions of lactate, the conjugate base of lactic acid, as a plain waste product of anaerobic metabolism and a marker of cellular distress could not be further from the truth. Lactate is formed and utilized continuously by our cells, even under fully aerobic conditions, in large quantities, and although marked hyperlactatemia is always a red flag in our patients, not all these conditions are life-threatening and vice versa-not all critically ill patients have hyperlactatemia.

Metallic Nanoalloys on Vertical GaAs Nanowires: Growth Mechanisms and Shape Control of Ni-GaAs Compounds.

GaAs nanowires are promising candidates for emerging devices in a broad field of applications (e.g., nanoelectronics, photodetection, or photoconversion).

Multisite phosphorylation dictates selective E2-E3 pairing as revealed by Ubc8/UBE2H-GID/CTLH assemblies.

Ubiquitylation is catalyzed by coordinated actions of E3 and E2 enzymes. Molecular principles governing many important E3-E2 partnerships remain unknown, including those for RING-family GID/CTLH E3 ubiquitin ligases and their dedicated E2, Ubc8/UBE2H (yeast/human nomenclature). GID/CTLH-Ubc8/UBE2H-mediated ubiquitylation regulates biological processes ranging from yeast metabolic signaling to human development.

Individual placement and support: A qualitative investigation of carers' experiences supporting someone experiencing mental illness into employment.

Background: Unemployment rates for people living with mental illness remain persistently high. Individual Placement Support (IPS) is an evidence-based employment model that supports people with severe mental illness to gain employment. Although carers provide emotional and instrumental support for people with mental illness, there is limited research exploring carers' perspectives of IPS.

Isotopes prove advanced, integral crop production, and stockbreeding strategies nourished Trypillia mega-populations.

After 500 y of colonizing the forest-steppe area northwest of the Black Sea, on the territories of what is today Moldova and Ukraine, Trypillia societies founded large, aggregated settlements from ca. 4150 BCE and mega-sites (>100 ha) from ca. 3950 BCE.

Rare, but potentially risky, high individual increase of self-reported sexual arousal in men, who have committed sexual offenses against children, while being confronted with experimental sexual stimuli - a retrospective data analysis.

This data analysis was initiated to further understand the infrequent yet intense instances of sexual arousal and signs of decompensation that emerge after exposing men who have committed sexual offenses against children to experimental sexual stimuli. We analyzed retrospectively and exploratory data of a self-developed sexual arousal questionnaire ("Current-State-of-Emotions-Questionnaire", CSEQ) with the following objectives: (i) examine subjective sexual arousal changes elicited during confrontation with experimental sexual stimuli, (ii) analyze these sexual arousal changes at an individual level to detect large responses, and (iii) ask for associations between large responses in sexual arousal and individual characteristics of participants, e.g.

Endoscopic negative-pressure treatment : From management of complications to pre-emptive active reflux drainage in abdomino-thoracic esophageal resection-A new safety concept for esophageal surgery.

Introduction: Early postoperative reflux (PR) can compromise anastomotic healing after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (ILE) and poses a risk for aspiration. Anastomotic insufficiency is the most threatening surgical complication. We present the protective method of pre-emptive active reflux drainage (PARD) with simultaneous enteral feeding.

Longitudinal development of central SBP in children with congenital heart disease.

Aims: Central SBP (cSBP) was shown to be increased already in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). However, its development over time has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural course of cSBP over time from longitudinal assessment in children with CHD.

Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components.

Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided strong evidence and mechanistic underpinnings to support positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning, from single to multiple functions. This research has provided knowledge gained mainly at the local alpha scale (i.e.

Structure, Function and Pharmacology of SLC7 Family Members and Homologues.

Amino acids are essential components of all living cells serving as building blocks of proteins, as energy source, and as precursors of metabolites and signaling molecules. Amino acid transporters are membrane proteins that mediate the transfer of amino acids across the plasma membrane, and between compartments in cells, different cells and organs. The absence, overexpression or malfunction of specific amino acid transporters have been associated with human disease.

Isolation and Quantification of Bacterial Membrane Vesicles for Quantitative Metabolic Studies Using Mammalian Cell Cultures.

Bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) are produced by most bacteria and participate in various cellular processes, such as intercellular communication, nutrient exchange, and pathogenesis. Notably, these vesicles can contain virulence factors, including toxic proteins, DNA, and RNA. Such factors can contribute to the harmful effects of bacterial pathogens on host cells and tissues.

[Cytologic evidence of hepatocytotropic T-cell-lymphoma in a 15-year-old male cat].

This case report describes the rare phenomenon of emperipolesis-like invasion of lymphatic blasts into the hepatocytes of a 15-year-old European Shorthair cat. The cat presented with nonspecific clinical signs (inappetence and weight loss). Cytologic examination of an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate of the liver showed a subset of hepatocytes with emperipolesis-like invasion by lymphatic blasts.

Association between Late Manifestations of Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome and Anogenital Distance: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: In 2001, Skakkebæk . proposed that certain male reproductive disorders might be grouped into a syndrome called testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS), as they all appear to be associated with disruption of the embryonic and foetal programming of gonadal development. TDS may be manifested in early life by the presence of genital malformations (hypospadias and cryptorchidism) and in adult life as disorders represented by low sperm counts and testicular cancer.

The influence of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae on lumbar lordosis and the angle of pelvic incidence.

Pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis have only normative values for spines comprising five lumbar and five sacral vertebrae. However, it is unclear how pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis are affected by the common segmentation anomalies at the lumbo-sacral border leading to lumbosacral transitional vertebrae, including lumbarisations and sacralisations. In lumbosacral transitional vertebrae it is not trivial to identify the correct vertebral endplates to measure pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis because ontogenetically the first sacral vertebra represents the first non-mobile sacral segment in lumbarisations, but the second segment in sacralisations.

Photovoltaic fields largely outperform afforestation efficiency in global climate change mitigation strategies.

Suppression of carbon emissions through photovoltaic (PV) energy and carbon sequestration through afforestation provides complementary climate change mitigation (CCM) strategies. However, a quantification of the "break-even time" (BET) required to offset the warming impacts of the reduced surface reflectivity of incoming solar radiation (albedo effect) is needed, though seldom accounted for in CCM strategies. Here, we quantify the CCM potential of PV fields and afforestation, considering atmospheric carbon reductions, solar panel life cycle analysis (LCA), surface energy balance, and land area required across different climatic zones, with a focus on drylands, which offer the main remaining land area reserves for forestation aiming climate change mitigation (Rohatyn S, Yakir D, Rotenberg E, Carmel Y.

Determinants of physical activity during cancer treatment: a longitudinal exploration of psycho-cognitive variables and physician counseling.

Individuals with cancer are recommended to engage in regular physical activity (PA) even during cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to explore how patient-reported physician PA counseling influences their PA intention and behavior in addition to psycho-cognitive determinants derived from the theory of planned behavior (TPB). A longitudinal study during cancer treatment was conducted among N = 115 patients with breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer (M = 58.