Switchable topological polar states in epitaxial BaTiO nanoislands on silicon.

A fascinating aspect of nanoscale ferroelectric materials is the emergence of topological polar textures, which include various complex and stable polarization configurations. The manipulation of such topological textures through external stimuli like electric fields holds promise for advanced nanoelectronics applications. There are, however, several challenges to reach potential applications, among which reliably creating and controlling these textures at the nanoscale on silicon, and with lead-free compounds.

Linkage-specific ubiquitin binding interfaces modulate the activity of the chlamydial deubiquitinase Cdu1 towards poly-ubiquitin substrates.

The chlamydial deubiquitinase Cdu1 of the obligate intracellular human pathogenic bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis plays important roles in the maintenance of chlamydial infection. Despite the structural similarities shared with its homologue Cdu2, both DUBs display remarkable differences in their enzymatic activity towards poly-UB chain substrates. Whereas Cdu1 is highly active towards K48- and K63- poly-UB chains, Cdu2 activity is restricted mostly to mono-UB substrates.

Validation of the Clavien-Madadi Classification for Unexpected Events in Pediatric Surgery: A Collaborative ERNICA Project.

Background: The Clavien-Madadi classification is a novel instrument for the assessment and grading of unexpected events in pediatric surgery, based on the Clavien-Dindo classification. The system has been adjusted to better fit the pediatric population in a prospective single-center study. There is a need now to validate the Clavien-Madadi classification within an international expert network.

Mortality on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Evaluation of independent risk factors and causes of death during venoarterial and venovenous support.

Introduction: Most patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) decease during therapy on the system. However, the actual causes of death have not been studied sufficiently. This study analyses the etiology, prevalence, and risk factors for the outcome variable death during ongoing ECMO for all patients and divided according to venoarterial (VA) or venovenous (VV) support.

Titanium nitride coating of pectus bar increases metal contamination after minimally-invasive repair of pectus excavatum.

Introduction: Previous studies demonstrated a release of toxic metals, e.g. nickel and chromium, from stainless steel bars used for minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE).

Drivers of Decadal Carbon Fluxes Across Temperate Ecosystems.

Long-running eddy covariance flux towers provide insights into how the terrestrial carbon cycle operates over multiple timescales. Here, we evaluated variation in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO) across the Chequamegon Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study AmeriFlux core site cluster in the upper Great Lakes region of the USA from 1997 to 2020. The tower network included two mature hardwood forests with differing management regimes (US-WCr and US-Syv), two fen wetlands with varying levels of canopy sheltering and vegetation (US-Los and US-ALQ), and a very tall (400 m) landscape-level tower (US-PFa).

Neural encoding of multiple motion speeds in visual cortical area MT.

Segmenting objects from each other and their background is critical for vision. The speed at which objects move provides a salient cue for segmentation. However, how the visual system represents and differentiates multiple speeds is largely unknown.

MUC-FIRE: Study protocol for a randomized multicenter open-label controlled trial to show that MUCous FIstula REfeeding reduces the time from enterostomy closure to full enteral feeds.

Background: After enterostomy creation, the distal bowel to the ostomy is excluded from the physiologic passage of stool, nutrient uptake, and growth of this intestinal section. Those infants frequently require long-term parenteral nutrition, continued after enterostomy reversal due to the notable diameter discrepancy of the proximal and distal bowel. Previous studies have shown that mucous fistula refeeding (MFR) results in faster weight gain in infants.

Implementation and validation of a novel instrument for the grading of unexpected events in paediatric surgery: Clavien-Madadi classification.

Background: Inconsistent definitions of complications and unexpected events have limited accurate analysis of surgical outcomes. Perioperative outcome classifications currently used for adult patients have limitations when used for children.

Methods: A multidisciplinary group of experts modified the Clavien-Dindo classification to increase its utility and accuracy in paediatric surgery cohorts.

Heat and let dye: Part II - Rapid heat-fixing of blood traces.

Blood-contaminated shoeprints and footmarks contain valuable operational information as they may bind an individual who stepped in the crime scene with the incident and not merely with the location. As determining the age of a bloodstain remains a challenge, while processing the scene, it is difficult to determine whether the blood is completely, or partially, dry. Thus, executing a dye staining protocol may wash these marks away as they might still be soluble.

Nickel contamination after minimally-invasive repair of pectus excavatum persists after bar removal.

Background: Minimally-invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) has been shown to be associated with high release of trace metals into patient's body. The aim of our study was to analyze the kinetics of metal contamination after MIRPE and after bar removal.

Methods: We prospectively assessed nickel and chromium changes in blood, urine, and local tissue in patients undergoing MIRPE with stainless-steel bar(s).

Location distribution of randomly acquired characteristics on a shoe sole.

Footwear comparison is used to link between a suspect's shoe and a shoeprint found at a crime scene. Forensic examiners compare the two items, and the conclusion reached is based on class characteristics and randomly acquired characteristics (RACs), such as scratches or holes. An important question concerns the distribution of the location of RACs on shoe soles, which can serve as a benchmark for comparison.

Informing Nature-based Climate Solutions for the United States with the best-available science.

Nature-based Climate Solutions (NbCS) are managed alterations to ecosystems designed to increase carbon sequestration or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While they have growing public and private support, the realizable benefits and unintended consequences of NbCS are not well understood. At regional scales where policy decisions are often made, NbCS benefits are estimated from soil and tree survey data that can miss important carbon sources and sinks within an ecosystem, and do not reveal the biophysical impacts of NbCS for local water and energy cycles.

A novel method for linking between a 3D printer and printed objects using toolmark comparison techniques.

Rapid advances and decreased production costs in 3D printing (3DP) have resulted in its accelerated implementation in criminal activities. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM (3DP and Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament were chosen for the current research because they are widely used in commodity 3DP, particularly in documented criminal activities. This study shows how specific features of 3DP along with classical toolmark comparison techniques using Stereo-Microscopy and Comparison Microscopy can be used to link between two 3DP objects as well as between a printed object and a suspected 3D printer.

Occupational injuries in California's health care and social assistance industry, 2009 to 2018.

Background And Aim: The health care and social assistance industry has one of the highest rates of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses, both in California and nationally. In the coming years, the health care industry will face added pressure as both the population and workforce age. The aim of this study is to identify targeted populations that may benefit from interventions to prevent future injuries, keep the workforce healthy, and decrease injury-related costs.

Evaluation of treatment options for postoperative and spontaneous chylothorax in adults.

Objectives: Both postoperative and spontaneous chylothorax remain therapeutic challenges without recommendations for a standardized treatment approach. Regardless of its aetiology, patients with chylothorax experience prolonged hospitalization and suffer from the associated complications or the invasive therapy administered.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational review of adult patients with chylothorax treated between January 2010 and September 2019.

Chemical Interaction at the MoO/CHNHPbICl Interface.

The limited long-term stability of metal halide perovskite-based solar cells is a bottleneck in their drive toward widespread commercial adaptation. The organic hole-transport materials (HTMs) have been implicated in the degradation, and metal oxide layers are proposed as alternatives. One of the most prominent metal oxide HTM in organic photovoltaics is MoO.

Vapor pressure deficit helps explain biogenic volatile organic compound fluxes from the forest floor and canopy of a temperate deciduous forest.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) play critical roles in ecological and earth-system processes. Ecosystem BVOC models rarely include soil and litter fluxes and their accuracy is often challenged by BVOC dynamics during periods of rapid ecosystem change like spring leaf out. We measured BVOC concentrations within the air space of a mixed deciduous forest and used a hybrid Lagrangian/Eulerian canopy transport model to estimate BVOC flux from the forest floor, canopy, and whole ecosystem during spring.

Spatial Arrangement Drastically Changes the Neural Representation of Multiple Visual Stimuli That Compete in More Than One Feature Domain.

Natural scenes often contain multiple objects and surfaces. However, how neurons in the visual cortex represent multiple visual stimuli is not well understood. Previous studies have shown that, when multiple stimuli compete in one feature domain, the evoked neuronal response is biased toward the stimulus that has a stronger signal strength.

Complicated chylous pericardial and thoracic effusion as the first clinical manifestation of thoracic lymphatic malformation.

Lymphatic malformations are benign focal proliferations of lymphatic vessels with a congenital origin. We present a case of an 18-year-old patient with post-traumatic chylopericardium and recurrent left-sided chylothorax, who was unresponsive to a variety of therapeutic measures until he was diagnosed with a complicated thoracic lymphatic malformation.

Dataset of Digitized RACs and Their Rarity Score Analysis for Strengthening Shoeprint Evidence.

In recent years, there is a growing demand to fortify the scientific basis of forensic methodology. During 2016, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) published a report that states there are no appropriate empirical studies that support the foundational validity of footwear analysis to associate shoeprints with particular shoes based on specific identifying marks, which is a basic scientific demand from the field. Furthermore, meaningful databases that can support such studies do not exist.

The WW1 Domain Enhances Autoinhibition in Smurf Ubiquitin Ligases.

Downregulation of ubiquitin (Ub) ligase activity prevents premature ubiquitination and is critical for cellular homeostasis. Nedd4 Ub ligases share a common domain architecture and yet are regulated in distinct ways through interactions of the catalytic HECT domain with the N-terminal C2 domain or the central WW domain region. Smurf1 and Smurf2 are two highly related Nedd4 ligases with ~70% overall sequence identity.