A ROADMAP FOR CLIMATE ACTION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY:HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUSES AS CLIMATE LEADERS

INTRODUCTION As federal and provincial governments debate the viability of absolute emission reduction targets,universities and college across North America are steadfast on a voluntary movement to slash greenhouse gas emissions and model the way forward on climate action.These institutions are taking advantage of campus contexts that offer decentralized energy supply opportunities,district energy systems,large building portfolios,and research partnerships to leverage change.Higher education campuses are emerging as innovation hubs for the deployment of new technologies,policy development,best practices in portfolio scale building operating models,public-private partnership models and more.

Emerging role of galectin 3 in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration

Neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration are key processes that mediate the development and progression of neurological diseases.However,the mechanisms modulating these processes in different diseases remain incompletely understood.Advances in single cell based multi-omic analyses have helped to identify distinct molecular signatures such as Lgals3 that is associated with neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system(CNS).Lgals3 encodes galectin-3(Gal3),aβ-galactoside and glycan binding glycoprotein that is frequently upregulated by reactive microglia/macrophages in the CNS during various neurological diseases.While Gal3 has previously been associated with non-CNS inflammatory and fibrotic diseases,recent studies highlight Gal3 as a prominent regulator of inflammation and neuroaxonal damage in the CNS during diseases such as multiple sclerosis,Alzheimer’s disease,and Parkinson’s disease.In this review,we summarize the pleiotropic functions of Gal3 and discuss evidence that demonstrates its detrimental role in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration during different neurological diseases.We also consider the challenges of translating preclinical observations into targeting Gal3 in the human CNS.

Development and technology status of energy storage in depleted gas reservoirs

Utilizing energy storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs can improve productivity while reducing power costs and is one of the best ways to achieve synergistic development of"Carbon Peak–Carbon Neutral"and"Underground Resource Utiliza-tion".Starting from the development of Compressed Air Energy Storage(CAES)technology,the site selection of CAES in depleted gas and oil reservoirs,the evolution mechanism of reservoir dynamic sealing,and the high-flow CAES and injection technology are summarized.It focuses on analyzing the characteristics,key equipment,reservoir construction,application scenarios and cost analysis of CAES projects,and sorting out the technical key points and existing difficulties.The devel-opment trend of CAES technology is proposed,and the future development path is scrutinized to provide reference for the research of CAES projects in depleted oil and gas reservoirs.

Low-Cost Federated Broad Learning for Privacy-Preserved Knowledge Sharing in the RIS-Aided Internet of Vehicles

High-efficiency and low-cost knowledge sharing can improve the decision-making ability of autonomous vehicles by mining knowledge from the Internet of Vehicles(IoVs).However,it is challenging to ensure high efficiency of local data learning models while preventing privacy leakage in a high mobility environment.In order to protect data privacy and improve data learning efficiency in knowledge sharing,we propose an asynchronous federated broad learning(FBL)framework that integrates broad learning(BL)into federated learning(FL).In FBL,we design a broad fully connected model(BFCM)as a local model for training client data.To enhance the wireless channel quality for knowledge sharing and reduce the communication and computation cost of participating clients,we construct a joint resource allocation and reconfigurable intelligent surface(RIS)configuration optimization framework for FBL.The problem is decoupled into two convex subproblems.Aiming to improve the resource scheduling efficiency in FBL,a double Davidon–Fletcher–Powell(DDFP)algorithm is presented to solve the time slot allocation and RIS configuration problem.Based on the results of resource scheduling,we design a reward-allocation algorithm based on federated incentive learning(FIL)in FBL to compensate clients for their costs.The simulation results show that the proposed FBL framework achieves better performance than the comparison models in terms of efficiency,accuracy,and cost for knowledge sharing in the IoV.

Association of daily sitting time and leisure-time physical activity with body fat among U.S.adults

Background:Prolonged sitting and reduced physical activity lead to low energy expenditures.However,little is known about the joint impact of daily sitting time and physical activity on body fat distribution.We investigated the independent and joint associations of daily sitting time and physical activity with body fat among adults.Methods:This was a cross-sectional analysis of U.S.nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey2011-2018 among adults aged 20 years or older.Daily sitting time and leisure-time physical activity(LTPA)were self-reported using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire.Body fat(total and trunk fat percentage)was determined via dual X-ray absorptiometry.Results:Among 10,808 adults,about 54.6%spent 6 h/day or more sitting;more than one-half reported no LTPA(inactive)or less than 150 min/week LTPA(insufficiently active)with only 43.3%reported 150 min/week or more LTPA(active)in the past week.After fully adjusting for sociodemographic data,lifestyle behaviors,and chronic conditions,prolonged sitting time and low levels of LTPA were associated with higher total and trunk fat percentages in both sexes.When stratifying by LTPA,the association between daily sitting time and body fat appeared to be stronger in those who were inactive/insuufficiently active.In the joint analyses,inactive/insuufficiently active adults who reported sitting more than 8 h/day had the highest total(female:3.99%(95%confidence interval(95%CI):3.09%-4.88%);male:3.79%(95%CI:2.75%-4.82%))and trunk body fat percentages(female:4.21%(95%CI:3.09%-5.32%);male:4.07%(95%CI:2.95%-5.19%))when compared with those who were active and sitting less than 4 h/day.Conclusion:Prolonged daily sitting time was associated with increased body fat among U.S.adults.The higher body fat associated with 6 h/day sitting may not be offset by achieving recommended levels of physical activity.

Characterization and Modeling of Urban Water Quality in the City of Calgary, Canada

Non-point source pollution (NPS) besides point source pollution (PS) has contributed to pollutant loading into natural receiving water bodies. Due to the nature of NPS, the quantification of pollutant loading from NPS is very challenging but crucial to riverine water quality management, especially for the river reach flowing through urban areas. The water quality in the river reach of the Bow River flowing through the City of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, is affected by both PS and NPS. Thus, understanding and characterizing water quality of discharges (affected by NPS) into the river reach is necessary for better managing riverine water quality and preventing water quality degradation. In the paper, monitored event mean concentrations (EMCs) of stormwater runoff and mean concentrations of snowmelt and baseflow of seven common pollutants from sub-catchments, which are categorized into four land use types including commercial, industrial, residential and on-going development land uses, were used to investigate the linkage between land use and water quality. Statistical analysis techniques were adopted to identify differences or similarities in water quality among different flow types, different land use types, and among/between catchments of same land use. The results indicated that EMCs of many water quality parameters vary among different land use types and among/between catchments of same land use. The results also showed median EMCs of pollutants of snowmelt and baseflow are, in general, lower than those of stormwater runoff. In addition, Stormwater Management Model was employed to investigate the physical process that would affect water quality response to storm events for two typical land uses, industrial and residential land uses. The modeling results supported that wash-off of particulate matters might primarily affect water quality response of catchments between different land uses. All the results shed the light on the necessity of quantifying pollutant loading considering the characteristics of land uses.

Securing offshore resources development:A mathematical investigation into gas leakage in long-distance flexible pipes

Gas flexible pipes are critical multi-layered equipment for offshore oil and gas development.Under high pressure conditions,small molecular components of natural gas dissolve into the polymer inner liner of the flexible pipes and further diffuse into the annular space,incurring annular pressure build-up and/or production of acidic environment,which poses serious challenges to the structure and integrity of the flexible pipes.Gas permeation in pipes is a complex phenomenon governed by various factors such as internal pressure and temperature,annular structure,external temperature.In a long-distance gas flexible pipe,moreover,gas permeation exhibits non-uniform features,and the gas permeated into the annular space flows along the metal gap.To assess the complex gas transport behavior in long-distance gas flexible pipes,a mathematical model is established in this paper considering the multiphase flow phenomena inside the flexible pipes,the diffusion of gas in the inner liner,and the gas seepage in the annular space under varying permeable properties of the annulus.In addition,the effect of a variable temperature is accounted.A numerical calculation method is accordingly constructed to solve the coupling mathematical equations.The annular permeability was shown to significantly influence the distribution of annular pressure.As permeability increases,the annular pressure tends to become more uniform,and the annular pressure at the wellhead rises more rapidly.After annular pressure relief followed by shut-in,the pressure increase follows a convex function.By simulating the pressure recovery pattern after pressure relief and comparing it with test results,we deduce that the annular permeability lies between 123 and 512 m D.The results help shed light upon assessing the annular pressure in long distance gas flexible pipes and thus ensure the security of gas transport in the emerging development of offshore resources.

Influence of glycol ether additive with low molecular weight on the interactions between CO_(2) and oil: Applications for enhanced shale oil recovery

The high-efficient development of shale oil is one of the urgent problems in the petroleum industry. The technology of CO_(2) enhanced oil recovery(EOR) has shown significant effects in developing shale oil. The effects of several glycol ether additives with low molecular weight on the interactions between CO_(2) and oil were investigated here. The solubility of glycol ether additive in CO_(2) was firstly characterized. Then,the effects of glycol ether additives on the interfacial tension(IFT) between CO_(2) and hexadecane and the volume expansion and extraction performance between CO_(2) and hexadecane under different pressures was investigated. The experimental results show that diethylene glycol dimethyl ether(DEG), triethylene glycol dimethyl ether(TEG), and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether(TTEG) all have low cloud point pressure and high affinity with CO_(2). Under the same mass fraction, DGE has the best effect to reduce the IFT between hexadecane and CO_(2) by more than 30.0%, while an overall reduction of 20.0%-30.0% for TEG and 10.0%-20.0% for TTEG. A new method to measure the extraction and expansion rates has been established and can calculate the swelling factor accurately. After adding 1.0% DEG, the expansion and extraction amounts of CO_(2) for hexadecane are respectively increased to 1.75 times and 2.25 times. The results show that glycol ether additives assisted CO_(2) have potential application for EOR. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the optimization of CO_(2) composite systems for oil displacement.

How completely are randomized controlled trials of non-pharmacological interventions following concussion reported? A systematic review

Purpose:The study aimed to examine the reporting completeness of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of non-pharmacological interventions following concussion.Methods:We searched MEDLINE,Embase,PsycInfo,CINAHL,and Web of Science up to May 2022.Two reviewers independently screened studies and assessed reporting completeness using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication(TIDieR),Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template(CERT),and international Consensus on Therapeutic Exercise aNd Training(i-CONTENT)checklists.Additional information was sought my study authors where reporting was incomplete.Risk of bias(ROB)was assessed with the Cochrane ROB-2 Tool.RCTs examining non-pharmacological interventions following concussion.Results:We included 89 RCTs(n=53 high ROB)examining 11 different interventions for concussion:sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise,cervicovestibular therapy,physical/cognitive rest,vision therapy,education,psychotherapy,hyperbaric oxygen therapy,transcranial magnetic stimulation,blue light therapy,osteopathic manipulation,and head/neck cooling.Median scores were:TIDieR 9/12(75%;interquartile range(IQR)=5;range:5-12),CERT 17/19(89%;IQR=2;range:10-19),and i-CONTENT 6/7(86%;IQR=1;range:5-7).Percentage of studies completely reporting all items was TIDieR 35%(31/89),CERT 24%(5/21),and i-CONTENT 10%(2/21).Studies were more completely reported after publication of TIDieR(t_(87)=2.08;p=0.04)and CERT(t_(19)=2.72;p=0.01).Reporting completeness was not strongly associated with journal impact factor(TIDieR:rs=0.27;p=0.01;CERT:r_(s)=-0.44;p=0.06;i-CONTENT:r_(s)=-0.17;p=0.48)or ROB(TIDieR:rs=0.11;p=0.31;CERT:rs=0.04;p=0.86;i-CONTENT:rs=0.12;p=0.60).Conclusion:RCTs of non-pharmacological interventions following concussion demonstrate moderate to good reporting completeness,but are often missing key components,particularly modifications,motivational strategies,and qualified supervisor.Reporting completeness improved after TIDieR and CERT publication,but publication in highly cited journals and low ROB do not guarantee reporting completeness.

Investigations of methane adsorption characteristics on marine-continental transitional shales and gas storage capacity models considering pore evolution

Methane adsorption is a critical assessment of the gas storage capacity(GSC)of shales with geological conditions.Although the related research of marine shales has been well-illustrated,the methane adsorption of marine-continental transitional(MCT)shales is still ambiguous.In this study,a method of combining experimental data with analytical models was used to investigate the methane adsorption characteristics and GSC of MCT shales collected from the Qinshui Basin,China.The Ono-Kondo model was used to fit the adsorption data to obtain the adsorption parameters.Subsequently,the geological model of GSC based on pore evolution was constructed using a representative shale sample with a total organic carbon(TOC)content of 1.71%,and the effects of reservoir pressure coefficient and water saturation on GSC were explored.In experimental results,compared to the composition of the MCT shale,the pore structure dominates the methane adsorption,and meanwhile,the maturity mainly governs the pore structure.Besides,maturity in the middle-eastern region of the Qinshui Basin shows a strong positive correlation with burial depth.The two parameters,micropore pore volume and non-micropore surface area,induce a good fit for the adsorption capacity data of the shale.In simulation results,the depth,pressure coefficient,and water saturation of the shale all affect the GSC.It demonstrates a promising shale gas potential of the MCT shale in a deeper block,especially with low water saturation.Specifically,the economic feasibility of shale gas could be a major consideration for the shale with a depth of<800 m and/or water saturation>60%in the Yushe-Wuxiang area.This study provides a valuable reference for the reservoir evaluation and favorable block search of MCT shale gas.

Advanced oxidation via the synergy of C-defective/C-O band modified ultrathin porous g-C_(3)N_(4)and PMS for efficient photothermal degradation of bisphenol pollutants and lignin derivatives

This work uses thermal polymerization of urea nitrate,oxyacetic acid and urea as the raw material to prepare ultra-thin porous carbon nitride with carbon defects and C-O band(OA-UN-CN).Density functional theory(DFT)calculations showed OA-UN-CN had narrower band gap,faster electron transport and a new internal construction electric field.Additionally,the prepared OA-UN-CN significantly enhanced photocatalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate(PMS)due to enhanced light absorption performance and faster electron overflow.As the result,the OA-UN-CN/PMS could entirely degrade bisphenol A(BPA)within 30 min,where the photodegradation rate was 81.8 and 7.9 times higher than that of g-C_(3)N_(4)and OA-UN-CN,respectively.Beyond,the OA-UN-CN/PMS could likewise degrade other bisphenol pollutants and sodium lignosulfonate efficiently.We suggested possible photocatalytic degradation pathways accordingly and explored the toxicity of its degradation products.This work provides a new idea on the development of advanced photocatalytic oxidation processes for the treatment of bisphenol pollutants and lignin derivatives,via a metal-free photothermal-catalyst.

Large-Scale Carbon Dioxide Storage in Salt Caverns:Evaluation of Operation,Safety,and Potential in China

Underground salt cavern CO_(2) storage(SCCS)offers the dual benefits of enabling extensive CO_(2) storage and facilitating the utilization of CO_(2) resources while contributing the regulation of the carbon market.Its economic and operational advantages over traditional carbon capture,utilization,and storage(CCUS)projects make SCCS a more cost-effective and flexible option.Despite the widespread use of salt caverns for storing various substances,differences exist between SCCS and traditional salt cavern energy storage in terms of gas-tightness,carbon injection,brine extraction control,long-term carbon storage stability,and site selection criteria.These distinctions stem from the unique phase change characteristics of CO_(2) and the application scenarios of SCCS.Therefore,targeted and forward-looking scientific research on SCCS is imperative.This paper introduces the implementation principles and application scenarios of SCCS,emphasizing its connections with carbon emissions,carbon utilization,and renewable energy peak shaving.It delves into the operational characteristics and economic advantages of SCCS compared with other CCUS methods,and addresses associated scientific challenges.In this paper,we establish a pressure equation for carbon injection and brine extraction,that considers the phase change characteristics of CO_(2),and we analyze the pressure during carbon injection.By comparing the viscosities of CO_(2) and other gases,SCCS’s excellent sealing performance is demonstrated.Building on this,we develop a long-term stability evaluation model and associated indices,which analyze the impact of the injection speed and minimum operating pressure on stability.Field countermeasures to ensure stability are proposed.Site selection criteria for SCCS are established,preliminary salt mine sites suitable for SCCS are identified in China,and an initial estimate of achievable carbon storage scale in China is made at over 51.8-77.7 million tons,utilizing only 20%-30%volume of abandoned salt caverns.This paper addresses key scientific and engineering challenges facing SCCS and determines crucial technical parameters,such as the operating pressure,burial depth,and storage scale,and it offers essential guidance for implementing SCCS projects in China.

Quantitative prediction model for the depth limit of oil accumulation in the deep carbonate rocks:A case study of Lower Ordovician in Tazhong area of Tarim Basin

With continuous hydrocarbon exploration extending to deeper basins,the deepest industrial oil accumulation was discovered below 8,200 m,revealing a new exploration field.Hence,the extent to which oil exploration can be extended,and the prediction of the depth limit of oil accumulation(DLOA),are issues that have attracted significant attention in petroleum geology.Since it is difficult to characterize the evolution of the physical properties of the marine carbonate reservoir with burial depth,and the deepest drilling still cannot reach the DLOA.Hence,the DLOA cannot be predicted by directly establishing the relationship between the ratio of drilling to the dry layer and the depth.In this study,by establishing the relationships between the porosity and the depth and dry layer ratio of the carbonate reservoir,the relationships between the depth and dry layer ratio were obtained collectively.The depth corresponding to a dry layer ratio of 100%is the DLOA.Based on this,a quantitative prediction model for the DLOA was finally built.The results indicate that the porosity of the carbonate reservoir,Lower Ordovician in Tazhong area of Tarim Basin,tends to decrease with burial depth,and manifests as an overall low porosity reservoir in deep layer.The critical porosity of the DLOA was 1.8%,which is the critical geological condition corresponding to a 100%dry layer ratio encountered in the reservoir.The depth of the DLOA was 9,000 m.This study provides a new method for DLOA prediction that is beneficial for a deeper understanding of oil accumulation,and is of great importance for scientific guidance on deep oil drilling.

Better use of experience from other reservoirs for accurate production forecasting by learn-to-learn method

To assess whether a development strategy will be profitable enough,production forecasting is a crucial and difficult step in the process.The development history of other reservoirs in the same class tends to be studied to make predictions accurate.However,the permeability field,well patterns,and development regime must all be similar for two reservoirs to be considered in the same class.This results in very few available experiences from other reservoirs even though there is a lot of historical information on numerous reservoirs because it is difficult to find such similar reservoirs.This paper proposes a learn-to-learn method,which can better utilize a vast amount of historical data from various reservoirs.Intuitively,the proposed method first learns how to learn samples before directly learning rules in samples.Technically,by utilizing gradients from networks with independent parameters and copied structure in each class of reservoirs,the proposed network obtains the optimal shared initial parameters which are regarded as transferable information across different classes.Based on that,the network is able to predict future production indices for the target reservoir by only training with very limited samples collected from reservoirs in the same class.Two cases further demonstrate its superiority in accuracy to other widely-used network methods.

Optimization of the Use of Spherical Targets for Point Cloud Registration Using Monte Carlo Simulation

Registrations based on the manual placement of spherical targets are still being employed by many professionals in the industry.However,the placement of those targets usually relies solely on personal experience without scientific evidence supported by numerical analysis.This paper presents a comprehensive investigation,based on Monte Carlo simulation,into determining the optimal number and positions for efficient target placement in typical scenes consisting of a pair of facades.It demonstrates new check-up statistical rules and geometrical constraints that can effectively extract and analyze massive simulations of unregistered point clouds and their corresponding registrations.More than 6×10^(7) sets of the registrations were simulated,whereas more than IOO registrations with real data were used to verify the results of simulation.The results indicated that using five spherical targets is the best choice for the registration of a large typical registration site consisting of two vertical facades and a ground,when there is only a box set of spherical targets available.As a result,the users can avoid placing extra targets to achieve insignificant improvements in registration accuracy.The results also suggest that the higher registration accuracy can be obtained when the ratio between the facade-to-target distance and target-to-scanner distance is approximately 3:2.Therefore,the targets should be placed closer to the scanner rather than in the middle between the facades and the scanner,contradicting to the traditional thought. Besides,the results reveal that the accuracy can be increased by setting the largest projected triangular area of the targets to be large.

Clinicopathological Description of a Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in a Dog

Hematopoietic tumors are associated with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and a poor prognosis. Furthermore, their pathophysiology in dogs is not well understood. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia has been rarely reported in golden retrievers, perhaps due to difficulties in diagnosis and care. An 8-year-old spayed female golden retriever was referred to our hospital with a 2-month history of fatigue, weakness, and selective appetite. The dog was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia based on blood smear evaluation. Despite treatment, the dog deteriorated and the owners opted for euthanasia. Histopathological examination revealed atypical lymphocytes in the spleen, extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen and liver, bone marrow depletion, moderate neutrophilic myocarditis, and acute renal tubular necrosis. In an immunohistochemical panel, cells in the spleen and bone marrow were positive for anti-CD20, anti-CD45, anti-CD3, anti-IBA-1, anti-Ki67, anti-MUM-1, and anti-PAX-5. In conclusion, the leukemia diagnosis was confirmed through reactive histiocytosis, marked extramedullary hematopoiesis, and other clinical and laboratory findings. Herein, we report a case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in a female dog with clinical, laboratory, and necroscopy findings.

Harvesting Energy Via Water Movement and Surface Ionics in Microfibrous Ceramic Wools

Due to the push for carbon neutrality in various human activities,the development of methods for producing electricity without relying on chemical reaction processes or heat sources has become highly significant.Also,the challenge lies in achieving microwatt-scale outputs due to the inherent conductivity of the materials and diverting electric currents.To address this challenge,our research has concentrated on utilizing nonconductive mediums for water-based low-cost microfibrous ceramic wools in conjunction with a NaCl aqueous solution for power generation.The main source of electricity originates from the directed movement of water molecules and surface ions through densely packed microfibrous ceramic wools due to the effect of dynamic electric double layer.This occurrence bears resemblance to the natural water transpiration in plants,thereby presenting a fresh and straightforward approach for producing electricity in an ecofriendly manner.The generator module demonstrated in this study,measuring 12×6 cm^(2),exhibited a noteworthy open-circuit voltage of 0.35 V,coupled with a short-circuit current of 0.51 mA.Such low-cost ceramic wools are suitable for ubiquitous,permanent energy sources and hold potential for use as self-powered sensors and systems,eliminating the requirement for external energy sources such as sunlight or heat.

Rescue from complications after pancreaticoduodenectomies at a low-volume Caribbean center:Value of tailored peri-pancreatectomy protocols

BACKGROUND Pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD)is a technically complex operation,with a re-latively high risk for complications.The ability to rescue patients from post-PD complications is as a recognized quality measure.Tailored protocols were instituted at our low volume facility in the year 2013.AIM To document the rate of rescue from post-PD complications with tailored protocols in place as a measure of quality.METHODS A retrospective audit was performed to collect data from patients who experienced major post-PD complications at a low volume pancreatic surgery unit in Trinidad and Tobago between January 1,2013 and June 30,2023.Stan-dardized definitions from the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery were used to define post-PD complications,and the modified Clavien-Dindo classification was used to classify post-PD complications.RESULTS Over the study period,113 patients at a mean age of 57.5 years(standard deviation[SD]±9.23;range:30-90;median:56)underwent PDs at this facility.Major complications were recorded in 33(29.2%)patients at a mean age of 53.8 years(SD:±7.9).Twenty-nine(87.9%)patients who experienced major morbidity were salvaged after aggre-ssive treatment of their complication.Four(3.5%)died from bleeding pseudoaneurysm(1),septic shock secondary to a bile leak(1),anastomotic leak(1),and myocardial infarction(1).There was a significantly greater salvage rate in patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists scores≤2(93.3%vs 25%;P=0.0024).CONCLUSION This paper adds to the growing body of evidence that volume alone should not be used as a marker of quality for patients requiring PD.Despite low volumes at our facility,we demonstrated that 87.9%of patients were rescued from major complications.We attributed this to several factors including development of rescue protocols,the competence of the pancreatic surgery teams and continuous,and adaptive learning by the entire institution,cul-minating in the development of tailored peri-pancreatectomy protocols.

Sex Determination in Homo sapiens as a Multi-Step Process: Potential for Development of Variants and Sex Differences in Disease Risk

Reproduction via cis-binary mechanisms appears to have evolved fairly early in the evolution of complex organisms, and a system committed to prior to evolution of humans. While the evolution of a chromosomal-specific approach has been a successful strategy for survival of a large variety of species including humans, the fidelity of sex determination leading to 100% cis-binary outcomes is not achieved in many species, with evidence for homosexual or bisexual behaviour evident in more than 1500 species. Thus, such outcomes indicates that sex determination is a multi-step process and not a single event, and as such, could lead to the appearance of variants during the process which developed much earlier than humans. Variants could arise either due to intrinsic variation in the steps of determination, or also be influenced by environmental factors of a biological or psychological nature. In contrast to homosexual variants which do not require interventions such as hormone therapy or surgery, expression of gender dysphoria, is more based in psychology, but also has biological underpinnings and can be influenced by such hormonal interventions and surgery. While the numbers of those with gender dysphoria is small (~0.6% - 1.0% of population), the attention given to this issue raises the possibility of biological and psychological environmental factors impacting the emergence of some of those expressing gender dysphoria. Furthermore, transitioning from male-to-female or female-to-male can have consequences regarding disease risks latter in life, including the appearance of autoimmune diseases. This review will attempt to review some of the evidence regarding sex determination, discuss why the system has potentially not been improved upon during evolution, how a potential role for sex chromosome function on neurodevelopment may be central to variation in humans, and how commitment to the current strategy is likely integrated into other sex-related events such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause to ensure species survival. It will also discuss how variants in sex determination could contribute to sex differences in disease risk and how epigenetic modifications could play a role in such risk. .

Correlates of Mistimed Pregnancy and Unmet Need for Family Planning among Women of Reproductive Age in Sandema, Ghana

Background: Globally, an estimated 80 million unintended pregnancies comprising both mistimed and unwanted pregnancies are recorded yearly. Yet only half of the women at risk of mistimed pregnancy use contraceptives. In developing countries, over 100 million females have unmet need, and national surveys in Ghana indicate 23% unmet need rate. Methods: Using a cross-sectional community-based approach, a sample size of 300 women of reproductive age were selected using multi-step cluster sampling techniques. The study was quantitative, using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Results: Two-third (66%) of the women in reproductive age still had unmet need, 71% were currently pregnant, and more than a third (36%) confirmed ever having a mistimed pregnancy. Fifty-three percent (53%) of the women confirmed never communicating with their partners on family planning issues, a little below half (45%) took their own health care decisions. Seventy nine percent (79%) ever received family planning services from a health professional. Factors related to unmet needs included mistimed pregnancy, level of education, preferred birth/pregnancy interval, communication between partners and the autonomy to spend self-earnings. Conclusion: Considering that high rates of unmet need results in mistimed pregnancy, improved policies around the influence of unmet need on mistimed pregnancies are needed.