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Extracting precise cosmology from weak lensing surveys requires modelling the non-linear matter power spectrum, which is suppressed at small scales due to baryonic feedback processes. However, hydrodynamical galaxy formation simulations make widely varying predictions for the amplitude and extent of this effect. We use measurements of Dark Energy Survey Year 3 weak lensing (WL) and Atacama Cosmology Telescope DR5 kinematic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (kSZ) to jointly constrain cosmological and astrophysical baryonic feedback parameters using a flexible analytical model, 'baryonification'. First, using WL only, we compare the |$S_8$| constraints using baryonification to a simulation-calibrated halo model, a simulation-based emulator model, and the approach of discarding WL measurements on small angular scales. We find that model flexibility can shift the value of |$S_8$| and degrade the uncertainty. The kSZ provides additional constraints on the astrophysical parameters, with the joint WL + kSZ analysis constraining |$S_8=0.823^{+0.019}_{-0.020}$|⁠. We measure the suppression of the non-linear matter power spectrum using WL + kSZ and constrain a mean feedback scenario that is more extreme than the predictions from most hydrodynamical simulations. We constrain the baryon fractions and the gas mass fractions and find them to be generally lower than inferred from X-ray observations and simulation predictions. We conclude that the WL + kSZ measurements provide a new and complementary benchmark for building a coherent picture of the impact of gas around galaxies across observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Santosh Dhakal,1,2 Xingguo Cheng,3 John Salcido,3 Sankar Renu,1,2 Kathy Bondra,1,2 Yashavantha Shaan Lakshmanappa,1,2 Christina Misch,1,2 Shristi Ghimire,1,2 Ninoshkaly Feliciano-Ruiz,1,2 Bradley Hogshead,1,2 Steven Krakowka,4 Kenneth Carson,3 Joseph McDonough,3 Chang Won Lee,1,2 Gourapura J Renukaradhya1,2 1Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691, USA; 2Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; 3Pharmaceuticals and Bioengineering Department, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238-0510, USA; 4The Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA Background: Influenza (flu) is a constant threat to humans and animals, and vaccination is one of the most effective ways to mitigate the disease. Due to incomplete protection induced by current flu vaccines, development of novel flu vaccine candidates is warranted to achieve greater efficacy against constantly evolving flu viruses. Methods: In the present study, we used liposome nanoparticle (

Participation in technical/research internships may improve undergraduate graduation rates and persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), yet little is known about the benefits of these activities a) for community college students, b) when hosted by national laboratories, and c) beyond the first few years after the internship. We applied Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to investigate alumni perspectives about how CCI at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) impacted their academic/career activities. We learned that alumni had low confidence and expectations of success in STEM as community college students. Participation in CCI increased their professional networks, expectations of success, and STEM skills, identity, and self-efficacy/confidence. Hispanic/Latinx alumni recalled the positive impact of mentors who prioritized personal connections, and women valued "warm" social environments. We propose several additions to the SCCT model, to better reflect the supports and barriers to STEM persistence for community college students., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors, with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this work., (Copyright: © 2025 Coté et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Abstract: Nerve growth factor (NGF)-R100E is a mutated form of human recombinant NGF that reduces the binding of NGF to its p75NTR receptor while retaining its affinity toward the TrkA receptor. Here, we used human wild type NGF and NGF-R100E knock-in mice to investigate the effects of this NGF mutation on inflammation-induced pain-related behaviors and bone loss. The hNGF-R100E mutation did not alter the nerve fiber density in the sciatic nerve, ankle joint synovium, and skin of naïve mice. Withdrawal responses to mechanical, thermal, and cold stimuli before and after joint inflammation induced by intra-articular injection of complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) were similar between human recombinant nerve growth factor-wild type and hNGF-R100E male and female mice while weight bearing and gait analysis revealed significant differences. Intriguingly, hNGF-R100E male and female mice showed only mild changes, indicating lower degrees of deep joint-related pain compared to their wild type counterparts. Furthermore, micro-CT analysis demonstrated that hNGF-R100E female mice, but not males, were protected from CFA-induced bone loss, and mRNA analysis showed a different gene regulation indicating a sex-dependent relationship between NGF, inflammation, and bone loss. In conclusion, our study reveals that the hNGF-R100E mutation renders mice insensitive to inflammation-induced impact on joint loading and gait while preserving the development of the peripheral nociceptive neurons and sensitivity to punctate stimulation of the skin. Notably, the mutation uncovers a sex-dependent relationship between NGF and inflammation-induced bone loss. These findings offer valuable insights into NGF as a target for pain management and the interplay between NGF and bone architecture., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Pain.)

Background: Whole blood (WB) collections can occur downrange for immediate administration. An important aspect of these collections is determining when the unit is sufficiently full. This project tested a novel method for determining when a field collection is complete., Methods: The amount of empty space at the top of WB units, destined to become LTOWB or separated into components, that were collected at blood centers or hospitals was measured by holding a WB unit off the ground and placing the top of a piece of string where the donor tubing entered the bag. The string was marked where it intersected the top of the column of blood in the bag and measured from the top. The WB units were also weighed., Results: A total of 15 different bags, two of which were measured in two different filling volumes, from 15 hospitals or blood centers were measured and weighed. The most commonly used blood bag, Terumo Imuflex SP, had a median string length of 9 mm (range: 2-24 mm) and weighed a median of 565.1 g (range: 524.8-636.7 g)., Conclusion: Pieces of string can be precut to the appropriate length depending on the type of bag before a mission where field WB collections might be required and a mark placed on the bag before the collection commences to indicate when the unit is full., (© 2024 AABB.)

To fully take advantage of the data provided by large-scale structure surveys, we need to quantify the potential impact of baryonic effects, such as feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) and star formation, on cosmological observables. In simulations, feedback processes originate on scales that remain unresolved. Therefore, they need to be sourced via subgrid models that contain free parameters. We use machine learning to calibrate the AGN and stellar feedback models for the FLAMINGO (Fullhydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations) cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Using Gaussian process emulators trained on Latin hypercubes of 32 smaller volume simulations, we model how the galaxy stellar mass function (SMF) and cluster gas fractions change as a function of the subgrid parameters. The emulators are then fit to observational data, allowing for the inclusion of potential observational biases. We apply our method to the three different FLAMINGO resolutions, spanning a factor of 64 in particle mass, recovering the observed relations within the respective resolved mass ranges. We also use the emulators, which link changes in subgrid parameters to changes in observables, to find models that skirt or exceed the observationally allowed range for cluster gas fractions and the SMF. Our method enables us to define model variations in terms of the data that they are calibrated to rather than the values of specific subgrid parameters. This approach is useful, because subgrid parameters are typically not directly linked to particular observables, and predictions for a specific observable are influenced by multiple subgrid parameters., (© 2023 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.)

Pediatric central nervous system tumors are the most common solid malignancies in childhood, and aggressive therapy often leads to long-term sequelae in survivors, making these tumors challenging to treat. Immunotherapy has revolutionized prospects for many cancer types in adults, but the intrinsic complexity of treating pediatric patients and the scarcity of clinical studies of children to inform effective approaches have hampered the development of effective immunotherapies in pediatric settings. Here, we review recent advances and ongoing challenges in pediatric brain cancer immunotherapy, as well as considerations for efficient clinical translation of efficacious immunotherapies into pediatric settings., (© 2022. Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Hypertrophic scar is an important clinical problem with limited therapeutic options. Aside from their roles as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, statins have also been demonstrated to decrease scarring by reducing connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression. However, poor penetrative ability limits their utility as topical treatments for hypertrophic scar. Here, we aim to develop novel statin formulations using liposomes to enhance dermal penetrative ability and to evaluate their efficacy against formation of hypertrophic scar utilizing our validated rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model. Liposomal simvastatin or pravastatin were compounded using a novel, flexible liposomal formulation and applied topically to rabbit ear hypertrophic scars daily from postoperation day (POD) 14 until POD 25. Scar color, including erythema and melanin, was measured using reflectance spectrophotometry on POD 28, and scar tissue was harvested for evaluation of scar elevation index as well as gene and protein expression. Human foreskin fibroblasts were also treated with statin formulations and CCN2 expression was determined by quantitative PCR. Both simvastatin and pravastatin were efficiently encapsulated in liposomes, forming nanometer-scale particles possessing highly negative charges. Topical treatment with liposomal simvastatin and pravastatin at 6.5% concentration significantly reduced scar elevation index and decreased type I/III collagen content and myofibroblast persistence in the wound. The erythema/vascularity of scars was reduced by liposomal statin treatment, with concomitant decrease of CD31 expression as measured histologically. Expression levels of transcripts encoding CTGF, collagen I, and collagen III collagen in scar tissue were also decreased by liposomal pravastatin treatment, as were myofibroblast persistence and the type I/III collagen ratio as assessed by immunofluorescence and picrosirus red staining, respectively. Treatment of human foreskin fibroblasts with simvastatin or with liposome-encapsulated pravastatin resulted in decreased expression of transcript encoding CTGF. Overall, our novel statin formulations encapsulated in liposomes were successfully delivered through topical application, significantly reducing hypertrophic scarring in a rabbit ear model., (© 2020 by the Wound Healing Society.)

Incidence and survival rates are commonly reported statistics, but these may fail to capture the full impact of childhood cancers. We describe the years of potential life lost (YPLL) and years of life lived with disease (YLLD) in children and adolescents who died of cancer in the United States to estimate the impact of childhood cancer in the United States in 2009. We examined mortality data in 2009 among children and adolescents <20 years old in both the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) datasets. YPLL and YLLD were calculated for all deaths due to cancer. Histology-specific YPLL and YLLD of central nervous system (CNS) tumors, leukemia, and lymphoma were estimated using SEER. There were 2233 deaths and 153,390.4 YPLL due to neoplasm in 2009. CNS tumors were the largest cause of YPLL (31%) among deaths due to cancer and were the cause of 1.4% of YPLL due to all causes. For specific histologies, the greatest mean YPLL per death was due to atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (78.0 years lost). The histology with the highest mean YLLD per death in children and adolescents who died of cancer was primitive neuroectodermal tumor (4.6 years lived). CNS tumors are the most common solid malignancy in individuals <20 years old and have the highest YPLL cost of all cancers. This offers the first histology-specific description of YPLL in children and adolescents and proposes a new measure of cancer impact, YLLD, in individuals who die of their disease. YPLL and YLLD complement traditional indicators of mortality and help place CNS tumors in the context of other childhood malignancies., (© 2015 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)