Avoidance of Fiber Is Associated With Greater Risk of Crohn’s Disease Flare in a 6-Month Period

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) have been associated with an abnormal mucosal response to the gastrointestinal microbiota. Although dietary fiber affects the gastrointestinal microbiota, there is limited information on the role of fiber on IBD activity. We investigated factors associated with fiber consumption and whether it was associated with flares in patients with IBD

The shadow knows: using shadows to investigate the structure of the pretransitional disk of HD 100453

We present GPI polarized intensity imagery of HD 100453 in Y-, J-, and K1 bands which reveals an inner gap ($9 - 18$ au), an outer disk ($18-39$ au) with two prominent spiral arms, and two azimuthally-localized dark features also present in SPHERE total intensity images (Wagner 2015). SED fitting further suggests the radial gap extends to $1$ au. The narrow, wedge-like shape of the dark features appears similar to predictions of shadows cast by a inner disk which is misaligned with respect to the outer disk. Using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HOCHUNCK3D (Whitney 2013), we construct a model of the disk which allows us to determine its physical properties in more detail. From the angular separation of the features we measure the difference in inclination between the disks 45$^{\circ}$, and their major axes, PA = 140$^{\circ}$ east of north for the outer disk and 100$^{\circ}$for the inner disk. We find an outer disk inclination of $25 \pm 10^{\circ}$ from face-on in broad agreement with the Wagner 2015 measurement of 34$^{\circ}$. SPHERE data in J- and H-bands indicate a reddish disk which points to HD 100453 evolving into a young debris disk

Wavelength-Dependent Extinction and Grain Sizes in Dippers

We have examined inter-night variability of K2-discovered Dippers that are not close to being viewed edge-on, as determined from previously-reported ALMA images, using the SpeX spectrograph and the NASA Infrared Telescope facility (IRTF). The three objects observed were EPIC 203850058, EPIC 205151387, and EPIC 204638512 (2MASS J16042165-2130284). Using the ratio of the fluxes between two successive nights, we find that for EPIC 204638512 and EPIC 205151387, we find that the properties of the dust differ from that seen in the diffuse interstellar medium and denser molecular clouds. However, the grain properties needed to explain the extinction does resemble those used to model the disks of many young stellar objects. The wavelength-dependent extinction models of both EPIC 204638512 and EPIC 205151387 includes grains at least 500 microns in size, but lacks grains smaller than 0.25 microns. The change in extinction during the dips, and the timescale for these variations to occur, imply obscuration by the surface layers of the inner disks. The recent discovery of a highly mis-inclined inner disk in EPIC 204638512 is suggests that the variations in this disk system may point to due to rapid changes in obscuration by the surface layers of its inner disk, and that other face-on Dippers might have similar geometries. The He I line at 1.083 microns in EPIC 205151387 and EPIC 20463851 were seen to change from night to night, suggesting that we are seeing He I gas mixed in with the surface dust.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Differences in the gas and dust distribution in the transitional disk of a sun-like young star, PDS 70

We present ALMA 0.87 mm continuum, HCO+ J=4--3 emission line, and CO J=3--2 emission line data of the disk of material around the young, Sun-like star PDS 70. These data reveal the existence of a possible two component transitional disk system with a radial dust gap of 0."2 +/- 0."05, an azimuthal gap in the HCO+ J=4--3 moment zero map, as well as two bridge-like features in the gas data. Interestingly these features in the gas disk have no analogue in the dust disk making them of particular interest. We modeled the dust disk using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HOCHUNK3D (Whitney et al. 2013) using a two disk components. We find that there is a radial gap that extends from 15-60 au in all grain sizes which differs from previous work

Variability of Disk Emission in Pre-Main Sequence and Related Stars IV. Investigating the Structural Changes in the Inner Disk Region of MWC 480

We present five epochs of near IR observations of the protoplanetary disk around MWC 480 (HD31648) obtained with the SpeX spectrograph on NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) between 2007 and 2013, inclusive. Using the measured line fluxes in the Pa beta and Br gamma lines, we found the mass accretion rates to be (1.43 - 2.61)x10^-8 Msun y^-1 and (1.81 - 2.41)x10^-8 Msun y^-1 respectively, but which varied by more than 50% from epoch to epoch. The spectral energy distribution (SED)reveals a variability of about 30% between 1.5 and 10 microns during this same period of time. We investigated the variability using of the continuum emission of the disk in using the Monte-Carlo Radiative Transfer Code (MCRT) HOCHUNK3D. We find that varying the height of the inner rim successfully produces a change in the NIR flux, but lowers the far IR emission to levels below all measured fluxes. Because the star exhibits bipolar flows, we utilized a structure that simulates an inner disk wind to model the variability in the near IR, without producing flux levels in the far IR that are inconsistent with existing data. For this object, variable near IR emission due to such an outflow is more consistent with the data than changing the scale height of the inner rim of the disk.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figure

Do women prefer caesarean sections? A qualitative evidence synthesis of their views and experiences

Background: Caesarean sections (CS) continue to increase worldwide. Multiple and complex factors are contributing to the increase, including non-clinical factors related to individual women, families and their interactions with health providers. This global qualitative evidence synthesis explores women’s preferences for mode of birth and factors underlying preferences for CS. Methods: Systematic database searches (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO) were conducted in December 2016 and updated in May 2019 and February 2021. Studies conducted across all resource settings were eligible for inclusion, except those from China and Taiwan which have been reported in a companion publication. Phenomena of interest were opinions, views and perspectives of women regarding preferences for mode of birth, attributes of CS, societal and cultural beliefs about modes of birth, and right to choose mode of birth. Thematic synthesis of data was conducted. Confidence in findings was assessed using GRADE-CERQual. Results: We included 52 studies, from 28 countries, encompassing the views and perspectives of pregnant women, non-pregnant women, women with previous CS, postpartum women, and women’s partners. Most of the studies were conducted in high-income countries and published between 2011 and 2021. Factors underlying women preferences for CS had to do mainly with strong fear of pain and injuries to the mother and child during labour or birth (High confidence), uncertainty regarding vaginal birth (High confidence), and positive views or perceived advantages of CS (High confidence). Women who preferred CS expressed resoluteness about it, but there were also many women who had a clear preference for vaginal birth and those who even developed strategies to keep their birth plans in environments that were not supportive of vaginal births (High confidence). The findings also identified that social, cultural and personal factors as well as attributes related to health systems impact on the reasons underlying women preferences for various modes of birth (High confidence). Conclusions: A wide variety of factors underlie women’s preferences for CS in the absence of medical indications. Major factors contributing to perceptions of CS as preferable include fear of pain, uncertainty with vaginal birth and positive views on CS. Interventions need to address these factors to reduce unnecessary CS

A Community-Building Framework for Collaborative Research Coordination across the Education and Biology Research Disciplines

Since 2009, the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences has funded Research Coordination Networks (RCN) aimed at collaborative efforts to improve participation, learning, and assessment in undergraduate biology education (UBE). RCN-UBE projects focus on coordination and communication among scientists and educators who are fostering improved and innovative approaches to biology education. When faculty members collaborate with the overarching goal of advancing undergraduate biology education, there is a need to optimize collaboration between participants in order to deeply integrate the knowledge across disciplinary boundaries. In this essay we propose a novel guiding framework for bringing colleagues together to advance knowledge and its integration across disciplines, the “Five ‘C’s’ of Collaboration: Commitment, Collegiality, Communication, Consensus, and Continuity.” This guiding framework for professional network practice is informed by both relevant literature and empirical evidence from community-building experience within the RCN-UBE Advancing Competencies in Experimentation–Biology (ACE-Bio) Network. The framework is presented with practical examples to illustrate how it might be used to enhance collaboration between new and existing participants in the ACE-Bio Network as well as within other interdisciplinary networks