融合MacBERT和Talking⁃Heads Attention实体关系联合抽取模型

针对现有的医学文本关系抽取任务模型在训练过程中存在语义理解能力不足,可能导致关系抽取的效果不尽人意的问题,文中提出一种融合MacBERT和Talking⁃Heads Attention的实体关系联合抽取模型。该模型首先利用MacBERT语言模型来获取动态字向量表达,MacBERT作为改进的BERT模型,能够减少预训练和微调阶段之间的差异,从而提高模型的泛化能力;然后,将这些动态字向量表达输入到双向门控循环单元(BiGRU)中,以便提取文本的上下文特征。BiGRU是一种改进的循环神经网络(RNN),具有更好的长期依赖捕获能力。在获取文本上下文特征之后,使用Talking⁃Heads Attention来获取全局特征。Talking⁃Heads Attention是一种自注意力机制,可以捕获文本中不同位置之间的关系,从而提高关系抽取的准确性。实验结果表明,与实体关系联合抽取模型GRTE相比,该模型F1值提升1%,precision值提升0.4%,recall值提升1.5%。

Pulsed current-assisted twelve-roll precision rolling deformation of SUS304 ultra-thin strips with exceptional mechanical properties

Innovative pulsed current-assisted multi-pass rolling tests were conducted on a 12-roll mill during the rolling deformation processing of SUS304 ultra-thin strips.The results show that in the first rolling pass,the rolling reduction rate of a conventionally rolled sample(at room temperature)is 33.8%,which can be increased to 41.5%by pulsed current-assisted rolling,enabling the formation of an ultra-thin strip with a size of 67.3μm in only one rolling pass.After three passes of pulsed current-assisted rolling,the thickness of the ultra-thin strip can be further reduced to 51.7μm.To clearly compare the effects of a pulsed current on the microstructure and mechanical response of the ultra-thin strip,ultra-thin strips with nearly the same thickness reduction were analyzed.It was found that pulsed current can reduce the degree of work-hardening of the rolled samples by promoting dislocation detachment,reducing the density of stacking faults,inhibiting martensitic phase transformation,and shortening the total length of grain boundaries.As a result,the ductility of ultra-thin strips can be effectively restored to approximately 16.3%while maintaining a high tensile strength of 1118 MPa.Therefore,pulsed current-assisted rolling deformation shows great potential for the formation of ultra-thin strips with a combination of high strength and ductility.

Long non-coding RNA H19 regulates neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells in a mouse model of closed head injury

Stem cell-based therapies have been proposed as a potential treatment for neural regeneration following closed head injury.We previously reported that induced neural stem cells exert beneficial effects on neural regeneration via cell replacement.However,the neural regeneration efficiency of induced neural stem cells remains limited.In this study,we explored differentially expressed genes and long non-coding RNAs to clarify the mechanism underlying the neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells.We found that H19 was the most downregulated neurogenesis-associated lnc RNA in induced neural stem cells compared with induced pluripotent stem cells.Additionally,we demonstrated that H19 levels in induced neural stem cells were markedly lower than those in induced pluripotent stem cells and were substantially higher than those in induced neural stem cell-derived neurons.We predicted the target genes of H19 and discovered that H19 directly interacts with mi R-325-3p,which directly interacts with Ctbp2 in induced pluripotent stem cells and induced neural stem cells.Silencing H19 or Ctbp2 impaired induced neural stem cell proliferation,and mi R-325-3p suppression restored the effect of H19 inhibition but not the effect of Ctbp2 inhibition.Furthermore,H19 silencing substantially promoted the neural differentiation of induced neural stem cells and did not induce apoptosis of induced neural stem cells.Notably,silencing H19 in induced neural stem cell grafts markedly accelerated the neurological recovery of closed head injury mice.Our results reveal that H19 regulates the neurogenesis of induced neural stem cells.H19 inhibition may promote the neural differentiation of induced neural stem cells,which is closely associated with neurological recovery following closed head injury.

Tailoring the texture and mechanical properties of 3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites fabricated by unidirectional and cross rolling followed by annealing

3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites were subjected to unidirectional rolling(UR)and cross rolling(CR)at 400℃and 350℃followed by annealing at 300℃for 1 h.The microstructure,texture and mechanical properties of rolled and annealed composites were systematically studied.The rolled composites exhibited a heterogeneous microstructure,consisting of deformed grains elongated along rolling direction(RD)and Y_(2)O_(3)particles bands distributed along RD.After annealing,static recrystallization(SRX)occurred and most deformed grains transformed into equiaxed grains.A non-basal texture with two strong T-texture components was obtained after UR while a non-basal elliptical/circle texture with circle multi-peaks was obtained after CR,indicating that rolling path had great influences on texture of the composites.After annealing process,R-texture component disappeared or weakened,as results,a non-basal texture with double peaks tilting from normal direction(ND)to transverse direction(TD)and a more random non-basal texture with circle multi-peaks were obtained for UR and CR composites,respectively.The yield strength of rolled composites after UR showed obvious anisotropy along RD and TD while a low anisotropic yield strength was obtained after CR.Some Y_(2)O_(3)particles broke during rolling.The fracture of the composites was attributed to the existence of Y_(2)O_(3)clusters and interfacial debonding between particles and matrix during tension,as a result,the ductility was not as superior as matrix alloy.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Using Helmets in Children amongst Parents to Prevent Head Injuries: A Cross-Sectional Study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Objectives: The primary objective was to characterize the range of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of Helmet use in children amongst parents to prevent head injuries and death. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, done by online survey using a snowball sampling technique, the number of included responses were 386 parents (Male and female) living in Riyadh Aged 21 - 60 years old or above. Results: The study showed that there is a difference in Parents’ belief in the importance of helmet use while riding a Bicycle vs Motorcycle/Quad bike and that was affected by parents’ education level, almost all the people who answered the survey (76.7%) agree that it is important for their children to wear a helmet when riding both a Bicycle and a Motorcycle or Quadbike with a cumulative percentage of (93.8%). And almost all agreed on multiple approaches to help increase helmet use be it by forcing rental shops to give out helmets, forcing sellers to recommend the use of helmets, increasing awareness campaigns, and imposing fines for not wearing helmets. Conclusions: This study is the first to explore Family helmet use while riding Bicycles and Motorcycles/Quad bikes. Although Parent’s belief in the importance of helmet use for their children was high, it is clear that the level of practice is low. With that the risk of head injuries might be high, our findings suggest that safety interventions for increasing pediatric helmet use are needed to increase helmet use and reduce the risk of head injury and hospitalization.

基于改进Double-Head RCNN的无人机航拍图像小目标检测算法

为解决无人机航拍图像中小目标特征信息少且容易被噪声干扰导致现有算法漏检率和误检率高的问题,提出一种改进Double-Head Region-卷积神经网络(RCNN)的无人机航拍图像小目标检测算法。在骨干网络ResNet-50上引入Transformer和可变形卷积(DCN)模块,更有效提取小目标特征信息和语义信息;提出一种基于内容感知特征重组(CARAFE)的特征金字塔网络(FPN)结构模块,解决特征融合过程中小目标被背景噪声干扰而丢失特征信息的问题;在区域建议网络中针对小目标尺度分布特点重新设置Anchor生成尺度,进一步提升小目标检测性能。在VisDrone-DET2021数据集上的实验结果表明:所提算法能提取更具有表征能力的小目标特征信息和语义信息,对比Double-Head RCNN算法,所提算法的参数量增加了9.73×10^(6),FPS损失了0.6,但是AP、AP50和AP75分别提升了2.6%、6.2%和2.1%,APs提升了3.1%。

Experimental and numerical simulation study on forced ventilation and dust removal of coal mine heading surface

In order to study the problems of unreasonable airflow distribution and serious dust pollution in a heading surface,an experimental platform for forced ventilation and dust removal was built based on the similar principles.Through the similar experiment and numerical simulation,the distribution of airflow field in the roadway and the spatial and temporal evolution of dust pollution under the conditions of forced ventilation were determined.The airflow field in the roadway can be divided into three zones:jet zone,vortex zone and reflux zone.The dust concentration gradually decreases from the head to the rear of the roadway.Under the forced ventilation conditions,there is a unilateral accumulation of dust,with higher dust concentrations away from the ducts.The position of the equipment has an interception effect on the dust.The maximum error between the test value and the simulation result is 12.9%,which verifies the accuracy of the experimental results.The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the application of dust removal technology in coal mine.

Tilapia Head Glycolipid Alleviates Indomethacin-Induced Gastric Ulcer via Regulating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Through COX/PGE2 Signaling Pathway in Adult Rats

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the ameliorative effect and molecular mechanism of tilapia head glycolipid(TH-GL)on indomethacin(IDM)-induced gastric ulcer in male Sprague Dawley(SD)rats.The gastric ulcer model was established by oral administration of 30mgkg^(-1) IDM after 7 days of TH-GL or omeprazole(OME)administration in rats.Then the macroscopic gastric injury symptoms,gastric mucosa protective factor cyclooxygenase 1(COX-1),cyclooxygenase 2(COX-2),prostaglandin E_(2)(PGE_(2)),the levels of oxidative stress,and inflammatory cytokine expression levels in the rats were analyzed.The experimental results showed that multiple ulcers appeared on the gastric surface of the rats in the model group.Compared to the model group,TH-GL significantly alleviated gastric ulcers and reduced the gastric damage index in rats.In addition,TH-GL significantly promoted the expression of constitutive enzyme COX-1 while inhibited the expression of inducible enzyme COX-2,and make PGE2 maintain at normal levels.TH-GL also inhibited oxidative stress and inflammatory responses,increased superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity and glutathione(GSH)content,decreased the level of malondialdehyde(MDA)and the content of pro-inflammatory factor.In conclusion,these results suggested that TH-GL could maintain the expression levels of COX-1 and PGE2 while inhibit the expression of COX-2 in the gastric of rat and then prevent IDM-induced gastric ulcer,which may be related to the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response.Therefore,TH-GL might be a new option for the prevention of gastric diseases induced by IDM.

Unveiling the rolling texture variations ofα-Mg phases in a dual-phase Mg-Li alloy

LZ91 Mg-Li alloy plates with three types of initial texture were rolled by 70%reduction at both room temperature and 200℃to explore the rolling texture formation ofα-Mg phase.The results showed that the rolling texture is largely affected by the initial texture.All the samples exhibited two main texture components as RD-split double peaks texture and TD-split double peaks texture after large strain rolling.The intensity of the two texture components was strongly influenced by the initial orientation and rolling temperature.Extension twinning altered the large-split non-basal orientation to a near basal one at low rolling strain.The basal orientation induced by twinning is unstable,which finally transmitted to the RD-split texture.The strong TD-split texture formed due to slip-induced orientation transition from its initial orientation.The competition between prismatic and basal slip determined the intensity and tilt angle of the TD-split texture.By increasing the rolling temperature,the TD-split texture component was enhanced in all three samples.Limitation of extension twinning behavior and the promotion of prismatic slip at elevated temperature are the main reasons for the difference in hot and cold rolling texture.

Microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism of high -performance powder metallurgy TA15 titanium alloy by hot rolling

Hot deformation of sintered billets by powder metallurgy(PM)is an effective preparation technique for titanium alloys,which is more significant for high-alloying alloys.In this study,Ti–6.5Al–2Zr–Mo–V(TA15)titanium alloy plates were prepared by cold press-ing sintering combined with high-temperature hot rolling.The microstructure and mechanical properties under different process paramet-ers were investigated.Optical microscope,electron backscatter diffraction,and others were applied to characterize the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties strengthening mechanism.The results showed that the chemical compositions were uniformly dif-fused without segregation during sintering,and the closing of the matrix craters was accelerated by increasing the sintering temperature.The block was hot rolled at 1200℃ with an 80%reduction under only two passes without annealing.The strength and elongation of the plate at 20–25℃ after solution and aging were 1247 MPa and 14.0%,respectively,which were increased by 24.5%and 40.0%,respect-ively,compared with the as-sintered alloy at 1300℃.The microstructure was significantly refined by continuous dynamic recrystalliza-tion,which was completed by the rotation and dislocation absorption of the substructure surrounded by low-angle grain boundaries.After hot rolling combined with heat treatment,the strength and plasticity of PM-TA15 were significantly improved,which resulted from the dense,uniform,and fine recrystallization structure and the synergistic effect of multiple slip systems.

Basal defense is enhanced in a wheat cultivar resistant to Fusarium head blight

Fusarium head blight(FHB),mainly caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum,is one of the most destructive wheat diseases.Besides directly affecting the yield,the mycotoxin residing in the kernel greatly threatens the health of humans and livestock.Xinong 979(XN979)is a widely cultivated wheat elite with high yield and FHB resistance.However,its resistance mechanism remains unclear.In this study,we studied the expression of genes involved in plant defense in XN979 by comparative transcriptomics.We found that the FHB resistance in XN979 consists of two lines of defense.The first line of defense,which is constitutive,is knitted via the enhanced basal expression of lignin and jasmonic acid(JA)biosynthesis genes.The second line of defense,which is induced upon F.graminearum infection,is contributed by the limited suppression of photosynthesis and the struggle of biotic stress-responding genes.Meanwhile,the effective defense in XN979 leads to an inhibition of fungal gene expression,especially in the early infection stage.The formation of the FHB resistance in XN979 may coincide with the breeding strategies,such as selecting high grain yield and lodging resistance traits.This study will facilitate our understanding of wheat-F.graminearum interaction and is insightful for breeding FHB-resistant wheat.

YOLO-MFD:Remote Sensing Image Object Detection with Multi-Scale Fusion Dynamic Head

Remote sensing imagery,due to its high altitude,presents inherent challenges characterized by multiple scales,limited target areas,and intricate backgrounds.These inherent traits often lead to increased miss and false detection rates when applying object recognition algorithms tailored for remote sensing imagery.Additionally,these complexities contribute to inaccuracies in target localization and hinder precise target categorization.This paper addresses these challenges by proposing a solution:The YOLO-MFD model(YOLO-MFD:Remote Sensing Image Object Detection withMulti-scale Fusion Dynamic Head).Before presenting our method,we delve into the prevalent issues faced in remote sensing imagery analysis.Specifically,we emphasize the struggles of existing object recognition algorithms in comprehensively capturing critical image features amidst varying scales and complex backgrounds.To resolve these issues,we introduce a novel approach.First,we propose the implementation of a lightweight multi-scale module called CEF.This module significantly improves the model’s ability to comprehensively capture important image features by merging multi-scale feature information.It effectively addresses the issues of missed detection and mistaken alarms that are common in remote sensing imagery.Second,an additional layer of small target detection heads is added,and a residual link is established with the higher-level feature extraction module in the backbone section.This allows the model to incorporate shallower information,significantly improving the accuracy of target localization in remotely sensed images.Finally,a dynamic head attentionmechanism is introduced.This allows themodel to exhibit greater flexibility and accuracy in recognizing shapes and targets of different sizes.Consequently,the precision of object detection is significantly improved.The trial results show that the YOLO-MFD model shows improvements of 6.3%,3.5%,and 2.5%over the original YOLOv8 model in Precision,map@0.5 and map@0.5:0.95,separately.These results illustrate the clear advantages of the method.

Bilateral Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head in Renal Transplant Recipient: A Case Report

Osteoarticular complications are common after renal transplantation. The complications may result from the bone condition prior to transplantation or the iatrogenic effects of the treatments administered. These complications lead to significant morbidity and mortality, in addition to chronic pain and functional impairment. We report the clinical case of bilateral avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head in a kidney transplant recipient. Clinical Case: 53-year-old male with a history of chronic hypertension. He underwent chronic hemodialysis for 12 months and was treated with Entecavir for chronic hepatitis B. The patient received a kidney transplant from a non-related living donor. Induction therapy included Thymoglobulin along with tapered corticosteroids, reaching a dose of 5 mg/day after 3 months, Mycophenolate mofetil (2 g/day), and Tacrolimus adjusted based on residual levels. There was good recovery of renal graft function. After six months, the patient reported bilateral hip pain and functional impairment of both lower limbs. Pelvic X-rays showed signs suggestive of bilateral AVN of the femoral heads. The diagnosis was confirmed by MRI. The patient underwent right hip drilling and total left hip replacement (THR). A right THR was performed a year later. Conclusion: AVN constitutes a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality after RT. The pathophysiology of osteonecrosis remains complex and multifactorial. We emphasize the importance of conducting a thorough assessment of bone health in patients both before and after RT.

Effects of cold rolling path on recrystallization behavior and mechanical properties of pure copper during annealing

The recrystallization behavior,grain boundary characteristic distribution,and mechanical properties of pure Cu sheets that were subjected to different cold rolling paths,and then annealed at 400°C for 10,30,60,and 420 min,were investigated.Different rolling paths changed the grain boundary orientations of cold-rolled copper,causing recrystallized grains to nucleate and grow in an oriented manner.However,the evolution of the texture indicated that cold-rolled copper with different rolling paths did not show an obvious preferred orientation after annealing.The RD-60 specimen exhibited the smallest grain size(6.6μm).The results indicated that the grain size and low-ΣCSL grain boundaries worked together to provide RD-60 samples with appropriate mechanical properties and high plasticity.The yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation of RD-60 sample were 81 MPa,230 MPa,and 49%,respectively.These results could provide guidance for tuning the microstructures and properties of pure Cu foils,as well as designing fabrication routes for pure Cu foils through processes such as rolling and drawing.

Effect of annealing temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Zr-Nd alloy with large final rolling deformation

In this study,the Mg-3Zn-0.5Zr-χNd(χ=0,0.6)alloys were subjected to final rolling treatment with large deformation of 50%.The impact of annealing temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated.The rolled Mg-3Zn-0.5Zr-0.6Nd alloy exhibited an ultimate tensile strength of 386 MPa,a yield strength of 361 MPa,and an elongation of 7.1%.Annealing at different temperatures resulted in reduced strength and obviously increased elongation for both alloys.Optimal mechanical properties for the Mg-3Zn-0.5Zr-0.6Nd alloy were achieved after annealing at 200℃,with an ultimate tensile strength of 287 MPa,a yield strength of 235 MPa,and an elongation of 26.1%.The numerous deformed microstructures,twins,and precipitated phases in the rolled alloy could impede the deformation at room temperature and increase the work hardening rate.After annealing,a decrease in the work hardening effect and an increase in the dynamic recovery effect were obtained due to the formation of fine equiaxed grains,and the increased volume fraction of precipitated phases,which significantly improved the elongation of the alloy.Additionally,the addition of Nd element could enhance the annealing recrystallization rate,reduce the Schmid factor difference between basal and prismatic slip systems,facilitate multi-system slip initiation and improve the alloy plasticity.

Design,preparation,microstructure and mechanical property of the lightweight radiation-shielding Mg-Ta-Al composites basing differential temperature hot rolling

A novel lightweight,radiation-shielding Mg-Ta-Al layered metal-matrix composite(LMC)was successful designed by doping the extremely refractory metal(Ta)into Mg sheets.These Mg-based LMCs sheets shows excellent radiation-dose shield effect,about 145 krad·a^(−1),which is about 17 times of traditional Mg alloy,while its surface density is only about 0.9 g·cm^(−2),reducing by 60%than that of pure Ta.The quantitate relationship between radiation-dose and the materials’thickness was also confirmed to the logistic function when the surface density is in the range of 0.6-1.5 g·cm^(−2).Meantime,the rolling parameters,interface microstructure and mechanical properties in both as-rolled and annealing treated samples were evaluated.The sheets possess a special dissimilar atoms diffusion transitional zone containing an obvious inter-diffusion Mg-Al interface and the unique micro-corrugated Ta-Al interface,as well as a thin Al film with a thickness of about 10μm.The special zone could reduce the stress concentration and enhance the strength of Mg-Ta-Al LMCs.The interface bonding strength reaches up to 54-76 MPa.The ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength(TYS)of the Mg-Ta-Al sheet were high to 413 MPa and 263 MPa,respectively,along with an elongation of 5.8%.The molecular dynamics(MD)analysis results show that the two interfaces exhibit different formation mechanism,the Mg-Al interface primarily depended on Mg/Al atoms diffusion basing point defects movement,while the Ta-Al interface with a micro-interlock pining shape formed by close-packed planes slipping during high temperature strain-induced deformation process.

A Dual-Cluster-Head Based Medium Access Control for Large-Scale UAV Ad-Hoc Networks

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)ad hoc network has achieved significant growth for its flexibility,extensibility,and high deployability in recent years.The application of clustering scheme for UAV ad hoc network is imperative to enhance the performance of throughput and energy efficiency.In conventional clustering scheme,a single cluster head(CH)is always assigned in each cluster.However,this method has some weaknesses such as overload and premature death of CH when the number of UAVs increased.In order to solve this problem,we propose a dual-cluster-head based medium access control(DCHMAC)scheme for large-scale UAV networks.In DCHMAC,two CHs are elected to manage resource allocation and data forwarding cooperatively.Specifically,two CHs work on different channels.One of CH is used for intra-cluster communication and the other one is for inter-cluster communication.A Markov chain model is developed to analyse the throughput of the network.Simulation result shows that compared with FM-MAC(flying ad hoc networks multi-channel MAC,FM-MAC),DCHMAC improves the throughput by approximately 20%~50%and prolongs the network lifetime by approximately 40%.

Surgical Treatment of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Using Minimally Invasive Surgical Drilling and Cancellous Grafting at Brazzaville University Hospital

Introduction: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONTF) is a debilitating condition. Several treatments have been proposed with controversial results. The aim of our study was to evaluate treatment by surgical drilling coupled with in situ cancellous grafting. Materials and methods: Our study was a case-control study conducted at Brazzaville University Hospital from 1st January 2018 to 31 December 2023. It compared two groups of patients with ONTF: non-operated (13 patients, 20 hips) and operated (22 patients, 35 hips). We used the visual digital scale (VDS) for pain assessment, the Merle D’Aubigne-Postel (MDP) scoring system for clinical and functional assessment, and the evolution of necrosis. Results: The group of non-operated patients had a mean age of 35.69 ± 3.4 years, no improvement in pain with an EVN above seven at the last recoil and a mean global MDP score falling from 12.7 before offloading to 10.13 at one year. The group of patients operated on had a mean age of 37.86 ± 7.02 years, a significant reduction in pain (p = 0.00004) and a significantly increased MDP score (p = 0.0034). A comparison of the two groups of patients showed significant stabilization of the necrotic lesions in the operated patients (p = 0.00067), with better satisfaction in the same group. Conclusion: Surgical drilling combined with grafting in the treatment of early-stage ONTF has improved progress in our series. The technique is reproducible and less invasive. It has made it possible to delay unfavorable progression and, consequently, hip replacement surgery.

Online task planning method of anti-ship missile based on rolling optimization

Based on the wave attack task planning method in static complex environment and the rolling optimization framework, an online task planning method in dynamic complex environment based on rolling optimization is proposed. In the process of online task planning in dynamic complex environment,online task planning is based on event triggering including target information update event, new target addition event, target failure event, weapon failure event, etc., and the methods include defense area reanalysis, parameter space update, and mission re-planning. Simulation is conducted for different events and the result shows that the index value of the attack scenario after re-planning is better than that before re-planning and according to the probability distribution of statistical simulation method, the index value distribution after re-planning is obviously in the region of high index value, and the index value gap before and after re-planning is related to the degree of posture change.

Fetal Head Compression: Its Possible Role in Neurologic Injury

It is widely assumed that fetal ischemic brain injury during labor derives almost exclusively from severe, systemic hypoxemia with marked neonatal depression and acidemia. Severe asphyxia, however, is one of several causes of perinatal neurological injury and may not be the most common;most neonates diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy do not have evidence of severe asphyxia. Sepsis, direct brain trauma, and drug or toxin exposure account for some cases, while mechanical forces of labor and delivery that increase fetal intracranial pressure sufficiently to impair brain perfusion may also contribute. Because of bony compliance and mobile suture lines, the fetal skull changes shape and redistributes cerebrospinal fluid during labor according to constraints imposed by contractions, and bony and soft tissue elements of the birth canal as the head descends. These accommodations, including the increase in intracranial pressure, are adaptive and necessary for efficient descent of the head while safeguarding cerebral blood flow. Autonomic reflexes mediated through central receptors normally provide ample protection of the brain from the considerable pressure exerted on the skull. On occasion, those forces, which are transmitted intracranially, may overcome the various adaptive anatomical, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological mechanisms that maintain cerebral perfusion and oxygen availability, resulting in ischemic brain injury. Accepting the notion of a potentially adverse impact of fetal head compression suggests that avoidance of excessive uterine activity and of relentless pushing without steady progress in descent may offer protection for the fetal brain during parturition. Excessive head compression should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ischemic encephalopathy.