bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of acute exercise on endothelial function in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Bailey Tom G. , Perissiou Maria , Windsor Mark T. , Schulze Karl , Nam Michael , Magee Rebecca , Leicht Anthony S. , Green Daniel J. , Greaves Kim , Golledge Jonathan , Askew Christopher D.
Published: September 2017

Endothelial dysfunction is observed in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), who have increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. This study aimed to assess the acute effects of moderate- and higher-intensity exercise on endothelial function, as assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), in AAA patients (74 ± 6 yr old, n = 22) and healthy adults (72 ± 5 yr old, n = 22). Participants undertook three randomized visits, including moderate-intensity continuous exercise [40% peak power output (PPO)], higher-intensity interval exercise (70% PPO), and a no-exercise control. Brachial artery FMD was assessed at baseline and at 10 and 60 min after each condition. Baseline FMD was lower [by 1.10% (95% confidence interval: 0.72−.81), P = 0.044] in AAA patients than in healthy adults. There were no group differences in FMD responses after each condition ( P = 0.397). FMD did not change after no-exercise control but increased by 1.21% (95% confidence interval: 0.69−1.73, P < 0.001) 10 min after moderate-intensity continuous exercise in both groups and returned to baseline after 60 min. Conversely, FMD decreased by 0.93% (95% confidence interval: 0.41−1.44, P < 0.001) 10 min after higher-intensity interval exercise in both groups and remained decreased after 60 min. We found that the acute response of endothelial function to exercise is intensity-dependent and similar between AAA patients and healthy adults. Our findings provide evidence that regular exercise may improve vascular function in AAA patients, as it does in healthy adults. Improved FMD after moderate-intensity exercise may provide short-term benefit. Whether the decrease in FMD after higher-intensity exercise represents an additional risk and/or a greater stimulus for vascular adaptation remains to be elucidated.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Abdominal aortic aneurysm patients have vascular dysfunction. We observed a short-term increase in vascular function after moderate-intensity exercise. Conversely, higher-intensity exercise induced a prolonged reduction in vascular function, which may be associated with both short-term increases in cardiovascular risk and signaling for longer-term vascular adaptation in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients.
Muscle metaboreflex-induced vasoconstriction in the ischemic active muscle is exaggerated in heart failure
Authors: Kaur Jasdeep , Senador Danielle , Krishnan Abhinav C. , Hanna Hanna W. , Alvarez Alberto , Machado Tiago M. , O’Leary Donal S.
Published: September 2017

When oxygen delivery to active muscle is insufficient to meet the metabolic demand during exercise, metabolites accumulate and stimulate skeletal muscle afferents, inducing a reflex increase in blood pressure, termed the muscle metaboreflex. In healthy individuals, muscle metaboreflex activation (MMA) during submaximal exercise increases arterial pressure primarily via an increase in cardiac output (CO), as little peripheral vasoconstriction occurs. This increase in CO partially restores blood flow to ischemic muscle. However, we recently demonstrated that MMA induces sympathetic vasoconstriction in ischemic active muscle, limiting the ability of the metaboreflex to restore blood flow. In heart failure (HF), increases in CO are limited, and metaboreflex-induced pressor responses occur predominantly via peripheral vasoconstriction. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that vasoconstriction of ischemic active muscle is exaggerated in HF. Changes in hindlimb vascular resistance [femoral arterial pressure ÷ hindlimb blood flow (HLBF)] were observed during MMA (via graded reductions in HLBF) during mild exercise with and without α1-adrenergic blockade (prazosin, 50 µg/kg) before and after induction of HF. In normal animals, initial HLBF reductions caused metabolic vasodilation, while reductions below the metaboreflex threshold elicited reflex vasoconstriction, in ischemic active skeletal muscle, which was abolished after α1-adrenergic blockade. Metaboreflex-induced vasoconstriction of ischemic active muscle was exaggerated after induction of HF. This heightened vasoconstriction impairs the ability of the metaboreflex to restore blood flow to ischemic muscle in HF and may contribute to the exercise intolerance observed in these patients. We conclude that sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction of ischemic active muscle during MMA is exaggerated in HF.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We found that muscle metaboreflex-induced vasoconstriction of the ischemic active skeletal muscle from which the reflex originates is exaggerated in heart failure. This results in heightened metaboreflex activation, which further amplifies the reflex-induced vasoconstriction of the ischemic active skeletal muscle and contributes to exercise intolerance in patients.
Immediate effect of laryngeal surface electrical stimulation on swallowing performance
Authors: Takahashi Keizo , Hori Kazuhiro , Hayashi Hirokazu , Fujiu-Kurachi Masako , Ono Takahiro , Tsujimura Takanori , Magara Jin , Inoue Makoto
Published: September 2017

Surface electrical stimulation of the laryngeal region is used to improve swallowing in dysphagic patients. However, little is known about how electrical stimulation affects tongue movements and related functions. We investigated the effect of electrical stimulation on tongue pressure and hyoid movement, as well as suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscle activity, in 18 healthy young participants. Electrical stimulation (0.2-ms duration, 80 Hz, 80% of each participant’s maximal tolerance) of the laryngeal region was applied. Each subject swallowed 5 ml of barium sulfate liquid 36 times at 10-s intervals. During the middle 2 min, electrical stimulation was delivered. Tongue pressure, electromyographic activity of the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles, and videofluorographic images were simultaneously recorded. Tongue pressure during stimulation was significantly lower than before or after stimulation and was significantly greater after stimulation than at baseline. Suprahyoid activity after stimulation was larger than at baseline, while infrahyoid muscle activity did not change. During stimulation, the position of the hyoid at rest was descended, the highest hyoid position was significantly inferior, and the vertical movement was greater than before or after stimulation. After stimulation, the positions of the hyoid at rest and at the maximum elevation were more superior than before stimulation. The deviation of the highest positions of the hyoid before and after stimulation corresponded to the differences in tongue pressures at those times. These results suggest that surface electrical stimulation applied to the laryngeal region during swallowing may facilitate subsequent hyoid movement and tongue pressure generation after stimulation.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Surface electrical stimulation applied to the laryngeal region during swallowing may facilitate subsequent hyoid movement and tongue pressure generation after stimulation. Tongue muscles may contribute to overshot recovery more than hyoid muscles.
Short-term dietary curcumin supplementation reduces gastrointestinal barrier damage and physiological strain responses during exertional heat stress
Authors: Szymanski Mandy C. , Gillum Trevor L. , Gould Lacey M. , Morin David S. , Kuennen Matthew R.
Published: September 2017

This work investigated the effect of 3 days of 500 mg/day dietary curcumin supplementation on gastrointestinal barrier damage and systems-physiology responses to exertional heat stress in non-heat-acclimated humans. Eight participants ran (65% V̇o2max) for 60 min in a Darwin chamber (37°C/25% relative humidity) two times (Curcumin/Placebo). Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) and associated proinflammatory [monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6] and anti-inflammatory [interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), interleukin-10 (IL-10)] cytokines were assayed from plasma collected before (Pre), after (Post) and 1 (1-Post) and 4 (4-Post) h after exercise. Core temperature and HR were measured throughout exercise; the physiological strain index (PSI) was calculated from these variables. Condition differences were determined with 2-way (condition × time) repeated-measures ANOVAs. The interaction of condition × time was significant ( P = 0.05) for I-FABP and IL-1RA. Post hoc analysis indicated I-FABP increased more from Pre to Post (87%) and 1-Post (33%) in Placebo than in Curcumin (58 and 18%, respectively). IL-1RA increased more from Pre to 1-Post in Placebo (153%) than in Curcumin (77%). TNF-α increased ( P = 0.01) from Pre to Post (19%) and 1-Post (24%) in Placebo but not in Curcumin ( P > 0.05). IL-10 increased ( P < 0.01) from Pre to Post (61%) and 1-Post (42%) in Placebo not in Curcumin ( P > 0.05). The PSI, which indicates exertional heatstroke risk, was also lower ( P < 0.01) in Curcumin than Placebo from 40 to 60 min of exercise. These data suggest 3 days curcumin supplementation may improve gastrointestinal function, associated cytokines, and systems-level physiology responses during exertional heat stress. This could help reduce exertional heatstroke risk in non-heat-acclimated individuals.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Exercise-heat stress increases gastrointestinal barrier damage and risk of exertional heatstroke. Over the past decade at least eight different dietary supplements have been tested for potential improvements in gastrointestinal barrier function and systems-level physiology responses during exercise-heat stress. None have been shown to protect against both insults simultaneously. In this report 3 days of 500 mg/day dietary curcumin supplementation are shown to improve gastrointestinal barrier function, associated cytokine responses, and systems-level physiology parameters. Further research is warranted.
Contribution of structural brain phenotypes to the variance in resting energy expenditure in healthy Caucasian subjects
Authors: Geisler Corinna , Hübers Mark , Granert Oliver , Müller Manfred J.
Published: September 2017

Brain gray (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes are related to weight changes. The impact of structural variations in GM and WM on the variance in resting energy expenditure (REE) and the REE-on-fat-free mass (FFM) association is unknown. The aim of this study was to address this in healthy Caucasian subjects. Cross-sectional data analysis of 493 healthy Caucasian subjects (age range 6–80 years; 3 age groups) was conducted with comprehensive information on FFM, organ and tissue masses, and detailed brain composition as assessed by whole body magnetic resonance imaging and REE (assessed by indirect calorimetry). REE was calculated (REEc) using organ and tissue masses times their specific metabolic rates. FFM was the major determinant of REE (70.6%); individual masses of liver, total brain, and heart explained a further 2.1% of the variance in REE. Replacing total brain with GM and WM did not change the total R2. Nevertheless, GM added more to the variance in REE (5.6%) and corresponding residuals (12.5%) than did total brain. Additionally, up to 12% was explained by age and sex (<2%). There was a systematic bias between REE and REEc with positive values in younger subjects but negative values in older ones. This bias remained after substituting the specific metabolic rate of brain with the specific metabolic rates of GM and WM. In healthy Caucasian subjects, GM and WM contributed to the variance in REE. Detailed brain structures do not explain the bias between REE and REEc.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Detailed brain composition (gray and white matter) contributed to the variances of resting energy expenditure (REE) and REE-on-fat-free mass residuals. Gray matter explained most of the variances, and for future studies on energy expenditure, brain compartments should be analyzed separately with regard to their different energy needs.
Dietary fat modulation of hepatic lipase variant −514 C/T for lipids: a crossover randomized dietary intervention trial in Caribbean Hispanics
Authors: Smith C. E. , Van Rompay M. I. , Mattei J. , Garcia J. F. , Garcia-Bailo B. , Lichtenstein A. H. , Tucker K. L. , Ordovás J. M.
Published: September 2017

The hepatic lipase ( LIPC) locus is a well-established determinant of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations, an association that is modified by dietary fat in observational studies. Dietary interventions are lacking. We investigated dietary modulation of LIPC rs1800588 (−514 C/T) for lipids and glucose using a randomized crossover design comparing a high-fat Western diet and a low-fat traditional Hispanic diet in individuals of Caribbean Hispanic descent ( n = 42, 4 wk/phase). No significant gene-diet interactions were observed for HDL-C. However, differences in dietary response according to LIPC genotype were observed. In major allele carriers (CC/CT), HDL-C (mmol/l) was higher following the Western diet compared with the Hispanic diet: phase 1 (Western: 1.3 ± 0.03; Hispanic: 1.1 ± 0.04; P = 0.0004); phase 2 (Western: 1.4 ± 0.03; Hispanic: 1.2 ± 0.03; P = 0.0003). In contrast, HDL-C in TT individuals did not differ by diet. Only major allele carriers benefited from the higher-fat diet for HDL-C. Secondarily, we explored dietary fat quality and rs1800588 for HDL-C and triglycerides (TG) in a Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS) subset matched for diabetes and obesity status (subset n = 384). In the BPRHS, saturated fat was unfavorably associated with HDL-C and TG in rs1800588 TT carriers. LIPC rs1800588 appears to modify plasma lipids in the context of dietary fat. This new evidence of genetic modulation of dietary responses may inform optimal and personalized dietary fat advice and reinforces the importance of studying genetic markers in diet and cardiometabolic health.
Diabetes Treatments and Risks of Adverse Breast Cancer Outcomes among Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients: A SEER-Medicare Analysis
Authors: Chen Lu , Chubak Jessica , Boudreau Denise M. , Barlow William E. , Weiss Noel S. , Li Christopher I.
Published: September 2017

The widely prescribed diabetes medicine metformin has been reported to lower the risk of incident breast cancer, but it is unclear whether it affects malignant progression after diagnosis. In this study, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Women were included in the study if they were aged 66 to 80 years, newly diagnosed with stage I or II breast cancer, and enrolled in Medicare Parts A, B, and D during 2007 to 2011. Information on dispensed diabetes-related medications was obtained from Medicare Part D claims data. Our primary outcomes were second breast cancer events (SBCE), breast cancer recurrence, and breast cancer death. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate HRs and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Among 14,766 women included in the study, 791 experienced SBCE, 627 had a recurrence, and 237 died from breast cancer. Use of metformin (n = 2,558) was associated with 28% (95% CI, 0.57–0.92), 31% (95% CI, 0.53–0.90), and 49% (95% CI, 0.33–0.78) lower risks of an SBCE, breast cancer recurrence, and breast cancer death. Use of sulfonylureas or insulin was associated with 1.49- (95% CI, 1.00–2.23) and 2.58-fold (95% CI, 1.72–3.90) higher risks of breast cancer death. Further research may be warranted to determine whether metformin is a preferred treatment for diabetes among breast cancer survivors and whether it benefits breast cancer patients without diabetes. Cancer Res; 77(21); 6033–41. ©2017 AACR.
Melanoma Sequentially Suppresses Different DC Subsets in the Sentinel Lymph Node, Affecting Disease Spread and Recurrence
Authors: van den Hout Mari F.C.M. , Koster Bas D. , Sluijter Berbel J.R. , Molenkamp Barbara G. , van de Ven Rieneke , van den Eertwegh Alfons J.M. , Scheper Rik J. , van Leeuwen Paul A.M. , van den Tol M. Petrousjka , de Gruijl Tanja D.
Published: September 2017

Melanoma exerts immune-suppressive effects to facilitate tumor progression and metastatic spread. We studied these effects on dendritic cell (DC) and T-cell subsets in 36 melanoma sentinel lymph node (SLN) from 28 stage I–III melanoma patients and determined their clinical significance. Four conventional DC subsets, plasmacytoid DCs, and CD4+, CD8+, and regulatory T cells (Tregs), were analyzed by flow cytometry. We correlated these data to clinical parameters and determined their effect on local and distant melanoma recurrence, with a median follow-up of 75 months. In stage I and II melanoma, increased Breslow thickness (i.e., invasion depth of the primary melanoma) was associated with progressive suppression of skin-derived migratory CD1a+ DC subsets. In contrast, LN-resident DC subsets and T cells were only affected once metastasis to the SLN had occurred. In stage III patients, increased CD4:CD8 ratios in concert with the accumulation of Tregs resulted in decreased CD8:Treg ratios. On follow-up, lower frequencies of migratory DC subsets proved related to local melanoma recurrence, whereas reduced maturation of LN-resident DC subsets was associated with distant recurrence and melanoma-specific survival. In conclusion, melanoma-mediated suppression of migratory DC subsets in the SLN precedes local spread, whereas suppression of LN-resident DC subsets follows regional spread and precedes further melanoma dissemination to distant sites. This study offers a rationale to target migratory as well as LN-resident DC subsets for early immunotherapeutic interventions to prevent melanoma recurrence and spread. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(11); 969–77. ©2017 AACR.
Anogenital Distance in Term Newborns in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Asafo-Agyei Serwah Bonsu , Ameyaw Emmanuel , Chanoine Jean-Pierre , Zacharin Margaret , Nguah Samuel Blay , Jarrett Olumide Olatokunbo
Published: September 2017

Background: Anogenital distance (AGD) is a simple noninvasive measure of foetal androgen exposure. This study was done to generate normative data on AGD in Ghanaian newborns. Methods: AGD was measured in 644 male and 612 female term newborns; including the distance between the anterior base of the penis and the centre of the anus, the posterior base of the penis and the centre of the anus, and the posterior base of the scrotum and the centre of the anus (ASD) in males and the distance from the anus to the fourchette (AF) and from the anus to the base of the clitoris in females. Other anthropometric and parental socio-demographic indices were also documented. Results: AGD was sexually dimorphic; with a mean ± SD ASD and AF of 25.5 ± 5.1 and 13.6 ± 2.7 mm, respectively. There was a significant correlation between AGD and birth weight, birth length, and occipitofrontal circumference (p < 0.05). ASD was significantly longer (p < 0.001) in newborns (83/644; 12.9%) of mothers who had ingested herbs during pregnancy. Conclusion: AGD was approximately twice as long in males compared to females and can serve as a useful indicator of androgen exposure. Measurements of AGD also need to factor in anthropometric parameters, which are important correlates of AGD.
Peripapillary Choroidal Thickness Analysis Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography in Glaucoma Patients: A Broader Approach
Authors: Pablo Luis Emilio , Cameo Beatriz , Bambo Maria Pilar , Polo Vicente , Larrosa Jose Manuel , Fuertes Maria Isabel , Güerri Noemi , Ferrandez Blanca , Garcia-Martin Elena
Published: September 2017

Aims: To evaluate and compare peripapillary choroidal thickness (PPCT) in a wide area around the optic disk and various choroidal established zones in healthy controls and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients using a new swept-source (SS) optical coherence tomography (OCT) device. Methods: A total of 246 eyes were finally included in this observational, prospective, cross-sectional study: 111 healthy controls and 135 POAG patients. The healthy subjects were divided into 2 populations: the teaching population (25 used to establish choroidal zones) and the validating population (86 used for comparing choroidal thickness with POAG patients). A 26 × 26 cube grid centered on the optic disk was generated using an SS-OCT to automatically measure choroidal thickness. Four choroidal zones were established and used to compare PPCT between healthy controls and POAG patients. Results: PPCT was significantly thinner in zones 3 and 4 of the POAG group. The choroid exhibited a similar pattern in controls and patients with POAG; it was thickest in the superior region, followed in order by the temporal, nasal, and inferior regions. Conclusions: Peripapillary choroidal tissue shows a concentric pattern in both groups, and glaucoma patients present with peripapillary choroidal thinning compared with healthy subjects, especially in areas further away from the optic disk.
Leptin Induces Sca-1
+
Progenitor Cell Migration Enhancing Neointimal Lesions in Vessel-Injury Mouse Models
Authors: Xie Yao , Potter Claire M.F. , Le Bras Alexandra , Nowak Witold N. , Gu Wenduo , Bhaloo Shirin Issa , Zhang Zhongyi , Hu Yanhua , Zhang Li , Xu Qingbo
Published: September 2017

Objective—

Leptin is an adipokine initially thought to be a metabolic factor. Recent publications have shown its roles in inflammation and vascular disease, to which Sca-1
+
vascular progenitor cells within the vessel wall may contribute. We sought to elucidate the effects of leptin on Sca-1
+
progenitor cells migration and neointimal formation and to understand the underlying mechanisms.

Approach and Results—

Sca-1
+
progenitor cells from the vessel wall of Lepr
+/+
and Lepr
−/−
mice were cultured and purified. The migration of Lepr
+/+
Sca-1
+
progenitor cells in vitro was markedly induced by leptin. Western blotting and kinase assays revealed that leptin induced the activation of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, phosphorylated extracellular signal–regulated kinases 1/2, pFAK (phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase), and Rac1 (ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1)/Cdc42 (cell division control protein 42 homolog). In a mouse femoral artery guidewire injury model, an increased expression of leptin in both injured vessels and serum was observed 24 hours post-surgery. RFP (red fluorescent protein)-Sca-1
+
progenitor cells in Matrigel were applied to the adventitia of the injured femoral artery. RFP
+
cells were observed in the intima 24 hours post-surgery, subsequently increasing neointimal lesions at 2 weeks when compared with the arteries without seeded cells. This increase was reduced by pre-treatment of Sca-1
+
cells with a leptin antagonist. Guidewire injury could only induce minor neointima in Lepr
−/−
mice 2 weeks post-surgery. However, transplantation of Lepr
+/+
Sca-1
+
progenitor cells into the adventitial side of injured artery in Lepr
−/−
mice significantly enhanced neointimal formation.

Conclusions—

Upregulation of leptin levels in both the vessel wall and the circulation after vessel injury promoted the migration of Sca-1
+
progenitor cells via leptin receptor–dependent signal transducer and activator of transcription 3- Rac1/Cdc42-ERK (extracellular signal–regulated kinase)-FAK pathways, which enhanced neointimal formation.
Lymphangiogenesis Facilitates Initial Lymph Formation and Enhances the Dendritic Cell Mobilizing Chemokine CCL21 Without Affecting Migration
Authors: Karlsen Tine V. , Reikvam Tore , Tofteberg Anne , Nikpey Elham , Skogstrand Trude , Wagner Marek , Tenstad Olav , Wiig Helge
Published: September 2017

Objective—

Lymphatic vessels play an important role in body fluid, as well as immune system homeostasis. Although the role of malfunctioning or missing lymphatics has been studied extensively, less is known on the functional consequences of a chronically expanded lymphatic network or lymphangiogenesis.

Approach and Results—

To this end, we used K14-VEGF-C (keratin-14 vascular endothelial growth factor-C) transgenic mice overexpressing the vascular endothelial growth factor C in skin and investigated the responses to inflammatory and fluid volume challenges. We also recorded interstitial fluid pressure, a major determinant of lymph flow. Transgenic mice had a strongly enhanced lymph vessel area in skin. Acute inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide and chronic inflammation by delayed-type hypersensitivity both resulted in increased interstitial fluid pressure and reduced lymph flow, both to the same extent in wild-type and transgenic mice. Hyperplastic lymphatic vessels, however, demonstrated enhanced transport capacity after local fluid overload not induced by inflammation. In this situation, interstitial fluid pressure was increased to a similar extent in the 2 strains, thus, suggesting that the enhanced lymph vessel area facilitated initial lymph formation. The increased lymph vessel area resulted in an enhanced production of the chemoattractant CCL21 that, however, did not result in augmented dendritic cell migration after induction of local skin inflammation by fluorescein isothiocyanate.

Conclusions—

An expanded lymphatic network is capable of enhanced chemoattractant production, and lymphangiogenesis will facilitate initial lymph formation favoring increased clearance of fluid in situations of augmented fluid filtration.
Perinatal Hypercholesterolemia Exacerbates Atherosclerosis Lesions in Offspring by Altering Metabolism of Trimethylamine-N-Oxide and Bile Acids
Authors: Trenteseaux Charlotte , Gaston Anh-thu , Aguesse Audrey , Poupeau Guillaume , de Coppet Pierre , Andriantsitohaina Ramaroson , Laschet Jamila , Amarger Valérie , Krempf Michel , Nobecourt-Dupuy Estelle , Ouguerram Khadija
Published: September 2017

Objective—

Experimental studies suggest that maternal hypercholesterolemia may be relevant for the early onset of cardiovascular disease in offspring. We investigated the effect of perinatal hypercholesterolemia on the atherosclerosis development in the offspring of apolipoprotein E–deficient mice and the underlying mechanism.

Approach and Results—

Atherosclerosis and related parameters were studied in adult male or female apolipoprotein E–deficient mice offspring from either normocholesterolemic or hypercholesterolemic mothers and normocholesterolemic fathers. Female born to hypercholesterolemic mothers had more aortic root lesions than female born to normocholesterolemic mothers. Lesions in whole aorta did not differ between groups. Higher trimethylamine-N-oxide levels and
Fmo3
hepatic gene expression were higher in female born to hypercholesterolemic mothers offspring compared with female born to normocholesterolemic mothers and male. Trimethylamine-N-oxide levels were correlated with the size of atherosclerotic root lesions. Levels of hepatic cholesterol and gallbladder bile acid were greater in male born to hypercholesterolemic mothers compared with male born to normocholesterolemic mothers. At 18 weeks of age, female born to hypercholesterolemic mothers showed lower hepatic
Scarb1
and
Cyp7a1
but higher
Nr1h4
gene expression compared with female born to normocholesterolemic mothers. Male born to hypercholesterolemic mothers showed an increase in
Scarb1
and
Ldlr
gene expression compared with male born to normocholesterolemic mothers. At 25 weeks of age, female born to hypercholesterolemic mothers had lower
Cyp7a1
gene expression compared with female born to normocholesterolemic mothers. DNA methylation of
Fmo3, Scarb1
, and
Ldlr
promoter regions was slightly modified and may explain the mRNA expression modulation.

Conclusions—

Our findings suggest that maternal hypercholesterolemia may exacerbate the development of atherosclerosis in female offspring by affecting metabolism of trimethylamine-N-oxide and bile acids. These data could be explained by epigenetic alterations.
Resveratrol Inhibits Growth of Experimental Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Associated With Upregulation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
Authors: Moran Corey S. , Biros Erik , Krishna Smriti M. , Wang Yutang , Tikellis Chris , Morton Susan K. , Moxon Joseph V. , Cooper Mark E. , Norman Paul E. , Burrell Louise M. , Thomas Merlin C. , Golledge Jonathan
Published: September 2017

Objective—

Recent evidence suggests an important role for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in limiting abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). This study examined the effect of ACE2 deficiency on AAA development and the efficacy of resveratrol to upregulate ACE2 in experimental AAA.

Approach and Results—

Ace2
deletion in apolipoprotein-deficient mice (
ApoE
−/−
Ace2

−/y

) resulted in increased aortic diameter and spontaneous aneurysm of the suprarenal aorta associated with increased expression of inflammation and proteolytic enzyme markers. In humans, serum ACE2 activity was negatively associated with AAA diagnosis.
ACE2
expression was lower in infrarenal biopsies of patients with AAA than organ donors. AAA was more severe in
ApoE
−/−
Ace2

−/y

mice compared with controls in 2 experimental models. Resveratrol (0.05/100-g chow) inhibited growth of pre-established AAAs in
ApoE
−/−
mice fed high-fat chow and infused with angiotensin II continuously for 56 days. Reduced suprarenal aorta dilatation in mice receiving resveratrol was associated with elevated serum ACE2 and increased suprarenal aorta tissue levels of ACE2 and sirtuin 1 activity. In addition, the relative phosphorylation of Akt and ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) 1/2 within suprarenal aorta tissue and gene expression for nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells 1, angiotensin type-1 receptor, and metallopeptidase 2 and 9 were significantly reduced. Upregulation of ACE2 in human aortic smooth muscle cells by resveratrol in vitro was sirtuin 1-dependent.

Conclusions—

This study provides experimental evidence of an important role for ACE2 in limiting AAA development and growth. Resveratrol upregulated ACE2 and inhibited AAA growth in a mouse model.
Civil War & the Global Threat of Pandemics
Authors: Wise Paul H. , Barry Michele
Published: September 2017

This essay confronts the collision of two potential global threats: the outbreak of infectious pandemics and the outbreak and protraction of civil wars. Specifically, it addresses the potential that civil wars can elevate the risk that an infectious outbreak will emerge; the possibility that civil wars can reduce the capacity to identify and respond to outbreaks; and the risk that outbreaks in areas of civil conflict can generate political and security challenges that may threaten regional and international order. Both global health governance and international security structures seem inadequate to address the health and security challenges posed by infectious outbreaks in areas of civil conflict. New approaches that better integrate the technical and political challenges inherent in preventing pandemics in areas of civil war are urgently required.
The Global Refugee Crisis: Regional Destabilization & Humanitarian Protection
Authors: Lischer Sarah Kenyon
Published: September 2017

In addition to being a tragic output of civil war, large-scale displacement crises often become enmeshed in the politics, security, and economics of the conflict. Refugee and internally displaced populations thus exacerbate concerns about regional destabilization. The Syrian refugee crisis, for example, is deeply entwined with civil and international conflict. Neighboring host states of Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon bear the brunt of the crisis, while European states seek to prevent further encroachment by Middle Eastern asylum seekers. Policy-makers often mistakenly view host state security and refugee security as unrelated–or even opposing–factors. In reality, refugee protection and state stability are linked together; undermining one factor weakens the other. Policies to protect refugees, both physically and legally, reduce potential threats from the crisis and bolster state security. In general, risks of conflict are higher when refugees live in oppressive settings, lack legal income-generation options, and are denied education for their youth. The dangers related to the global refugee crisis interact with many other threats that emanate from civil wars and weak states, such as fragile governments, rebel and terrorist group activity, and religious or ethnic fragmentation.
Fictional States & Atomized Public Spheres: A Non-Western Approach to Fragility
Authors: Reno William
Published: September 2017

This essay explains why political order in some places gives way to especially persistent conflict and prolonged state institutional collapse. State failure is rooted in decades of personalist rule, as leaders have sought to fragment and disorganize institutions and social groups that they thought would be possible bases of opposition. This problem was considered particular to sub-Saharan Africa, but now parts of the Middle East and Central Asia exhibit this connection between a particular type of authoritarian rule and state failure. State failure in these countries produces multisided warfare that reflects the fragmentation upon which prewar regimes relied for their protection. Policy-makers are thus faced with the dilemma of propping up personalist regimes that present themselves as bulwarks against disorder at the same time that their domestic strategies of governance play a central role in creating the conditions of protracted multisided warfare in the event that they fail.
The Colombian Paradox: Peace Processes, Elite Divisions & Popular Plebiscites
Authors: Matanock Aila M. , García-Sánchez Miguel
Published: September 2017

Ending civil conflict is difficult, particularly through political settlements. Conflicts now often occur in states with elections, and voters have sometimes been directly involved in the process, potentially in efforts to overcome elite divisions. Yet, according to evidence from the 2016 popular plebiscite in Colombia, referendums and other tools of direct approval by voters seem to amplify elite divisions and therefore are not a useful mechanism to strengthen peace processes in this way. Focusing instead on traditional elite-led negotiations that seek to satisfy each faction may have a better chance of producing signed settlements, although the Colombian case also suggests some alternative forms of inclusivity that may help increase the overall legitimacy of the process and improve the odds of implementation.
The Effects of Universal Preschool on Grade Retention
Authors: Miller Luke C. , Bassok Daphna
Published: September 2017

Nationwide, the percentage of four-year-olds enrolled in state-supported preschool programs has more than doubled since the early 2000s as states dramatically increased their investments in early childhood education. Florida's Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program (VPK), which began in 2005, has been a national leader with respect to preschool access. This paper provides the first evidence of the program's impacts. We measure the effect of VPK participation on the likelihood that children are retained at any point between kindergarten and third grade. Using an instrumental variables approach, we leverage local program expansion and detailed student-level data on eight cohorts of children, four of which were of preschool age in the years before VPK was implemented and four of which had access to VPK programs. The results indicate that VPK did not lead to changes in the likelihood that children complete the third grade without ever being retained. We do find, however, that VPK led to a change in the timing of retention. Specifically, the program led to a drop in the likelihood that children were retained during the kindergarten year, but this drop was counteracted by increases in retention in subsequent school years. Implications for policy are discussed.
College Major Choice and Neighborhood Effects in a Historically Segregated Society: Evidence from South Africa
Authors: Bedasso Biniam E.
Published: September 2017

This paper explores factors affecting the choice of investment in specific human capital in the presence of significant inter-group and spatial inequalities. I use four years of admissions application data at an elite university in South Africa in conjunction with quarterly labor force data to trace the link between aptitude-adjusted expected earnings, neighborhood effects, and the choice of college major. The paper relies on the availability of a rich set of academic and geographical information in the admissions database to make causal inference. The results show that expected earnings have a positive impact on major choice independently of high school background when the ex ante distribution of earnings captures the full range of between-major and within-major income differentials. White applicants are more responsive to differentials in expected earnings than black applicants. Neighborhood effects influence college major choice through near-peer role models and relative achievement at the high school level.
Acouscenic Listening and Creative Soundwalks: Evoking Memory and Narratives through Soundscape Exploration
Authors: Taylor Sean , Fernström Mikael
Published: September 2017

Sound art is at the vanguard of contemporary creative practices seeking to establish a platform for meaningful debate on a range of accelerating global environmental crises. This paper explores how the Softday art/science collaboration moved from exploring histories of the natural world in the epoch of the Anthropocene, while engaging in a continuum of public and politicized contestations addressing climate change issues, to a participatory sound art practice that that we call Acouscenic Listening and Creative Soundwalks, which may help to develop a novel frame of understanding of the world.
Be Here Now, and Then: Urban Ecological History into Art
Authors: Mooney Edmund
Published: September 2017

Urban ecological history can give us a fascinating glimpse into the sometimes completely obscured natural past right under our noses. It is also an effective vehicle for reconnecting people with their urban environment. Interdisciplinary artist Edmund Mooney uses eco-history as an invitation to walk into New York City, against the grid, with an eye and an ear to land and water features long erased.
A Memory of Almost Nothing: Luc Ferrari’s Listening During Presque Rien No. 1
Authors: English Lawrence
Published: September 2017

Luc Ferrari’s Presque rien, ou le lever du jour au bord de la mer (Almost nothing, or daybreak at the seashore) represents one of the most significant milestones in the development of field recording as it is understood today. His piece, recorded in 1968 in Vela Luka, is both a composition and an execution of auditory memory making. The work demonstrates the agentive capacity of Ferrari’s listening and sets a framework for future executions of the relational condition between human listening and the audition of the prosthetic ear: the microphone. In 2013, the author visited the same location to reconsider Ferrari’s sonic subjects and to update Ferrari’s exploration by expanding on the French composer’s listening methodologies.
Historical Virtualization: Analog and Digital Concerns in the Recreation, Modeling and Preservation of Contemporary Piano Repertoire
Authors: Nanou Chrysi , Hamilton Rob
Published: September 2017

Modern efforts to preserve and reinterpret canonic musical works in the contemporary piano repertoire often take advantage of new technologies, fundamentally changing core aspects of the works themselves. By approaching preservation as a form of virtualization—in this case the creation of a functional interpretative model of each musical work—artists and researchers can create robust and performable digital versions of important musical systems. This paper introduces the idea of virtualization as a compositional modeling technique and offers three case studies in which digital versions of contemporary piano repertoire were designed and developed.
Phonological and Musical Loops in Live Coding Performance Practice
Authors: Kim-Boyle David
Published: September 2017

This paper explores how various phenomena of working memory are actively drawn on and can provide useful insights into live coding performance practice. The author argues that the phonological coding processes that cognitive psychologists believe underscore how auditory information is retained and recollected in working memory can enrich our understanding of live coding performance practice, where loop-based processes often provide key structural units. The author suggests that such practice finds structural coherence and aesthetic value through a real-time play with the effects of working memory.
Soundwalking Salzburg, Forty Years Later
Authors: Cameron Laura J. , Rogalsky Matt
Published: September 2017

The authors follow a 1975 soundwalk through old Salzburg, Austria, forty years after its creation, reflecting on issues of sonic lasting, transience, accessibility and futurity.
Folto giardino: Hybrid Cross-Pollination of Score, Performance, Installation and Technology
Authors: Impett Jonathan
Published: September 2017

This article presents a series of works for chamber ensemble (incorporating both scored and improvised material), electronics and an installation of long strings. The folto giardino of the title (derived from Mozart/Da Ponte) is a listening, performing environment in which a dramaturgy of relationships, of knowing, hearing, understanding or ignoring, can be played out. Such an approach is offered as a way of thinking about form and material when dealing with the hybrid resources typical of contemporary musical work.
Memory Piece: Memory as a Compositional Process
Authors: Nickel Luke
Published: September 2017

The author describes the use of memory as a compositional process in his recent orally and digitally transmitted compositions.
Uncanny Materialities: Digital Strategies for Staging Supernatural Themes Drawn from Medieval Ballads
Authors: Elblaus Ludvig , Unander-Scharin Åsa , Unander-Scharin Carl
Published: September 2017

In the medieval tradition of ballads, a recurring theme is that of transformation. In a staged concert for chamber orchestra, singers and dancers called Varelser och Ballader ( Beings and Ballads), we explored this theme using ballads coupled with contemporary poetry and new music. The performance made use of custom-made digital musical instruments, using video analysis and large-scale physical interfaces for transformative purposes. In this article, we describe the piece itself as well as how uncanny qualities of the digital were used to emphasize eerie themes of transformation and deception by the supernatural beings found in the medieval ballads.
A Personal Reminiscence on the Roots of Computer Network Music
Authors: Gresham-Lancaster Scot
Published: September 2017

This historical reminiscence details the evolution of a type of electronic music called “computer network music.” Early computer network music had a heterogeneous quality, with independent composers forming a collective; over time, it has transitioned into the more autonomous form of university-centered “laptop orchestra.” This transition points to a fundamental shift in the cultural contexts in which this artistic practice was and is embedded: The early work derived from the post-hippie, neo-punk anarchism of cooperatives whose members dreamed that machines would enable a kind of utopia. The latter is a direct outgrowth of the potential inherent in what networks actually are and of a sense of social cohesion based on uniformity and standardization. The discovery that this style of computer music-making can be effectively used as a curricular tool has also deeply affected the evolution and approaches of many in the field.
Updating the History of Sound Art: Additions, Clarifications, More Questions
Authors: Gál Bernhard
Published: September 2017

The author takes a close look at the origins of the terms sound art and sound installation, identifying additional historical sources and addressing misconceptions about their origins. The author then focuses on two early sound works by Max Neuhaus, a sound art pioneer who is frequently said to be the creator of the first sound installation.
A Documentation of Sound Art in Japan: Sound Garden (1987–1994) and the Sound Art Exhibitions of 1980s Japan
Authors: Nakagawa Katsushi , Kaneko Tomotaro
Published: September 2017

This article examines the exhibition series Sound Garden (1987–1994) as a first step toward analyzing the sound-based artwork exhibitions of late-1980s Japan. The article begins with an outline of the series and the types of artworks exhibited therein, followed by an examination of the context in which Sound Garden was created by considering prototypes that predate the exhibition series. Finally, the authors discuss related exhibitions and highlight the educational context that inspired these presentations.
Gambioluthiery: Revisiting the Musical Instrument from a Bricolage Perspective
Authors: Obici Giuliano
Published: September 2017

Gambiarra is a popular Brazilian expression that describes an improvised and informal way of solving an everyday problem when needed tools or resources are not available. Since the turn of the 21st century, the term gambiarra has been a part of Brazilian art discourse. This article first analyzes the genealogy of the word gambiarra, including its global and local contexts, and then looks at the use of gambiarra in the production of music and sound art instruments, or gambioluthiery.
Neo-concretism, Apex and Rupture of the Brazilian Constructive Project
Authors: Brito Ronaldo
Published: September 2017

Written in 1975 and first published in its entirety in 1985, this essay constitutes the first and most consequential analysis of the Brazilian Neo-concrete movement of the late 1950s and early '60s. It argues that Neo-concretism realized and simultaneously forced into crisis the essential tenets of the constructive traditions of geometric abstraction as they had been inherited by artists in Brazil. According to Brito, Brazilian Concrete art sought to import a Western model of constructive practice that, while utopian in aim, was ultimately complicit with both a capitalist organization of the market and a positivist, universalizing formulation of the subject. Ill-equipped to adapt to Brazil's prevailing socioeconomic realities, this model was surpassed by the Neo-concrete movement, which, in channeling the “singularities” of art, allowed for the emergence of previously repressed elements such as desire, subjectivity, and expression. A critical rupture within Brazilian modern art, Neo-concretism thus established the conditions for contemporary artistic practice and its “insertion into the ideological field.”
The European Union’s Reform of Deep-Sea Fisheries in the North-East Atlantic
Authors: Oanta Gabriela A.
Published: September 2017

This article addresses the first reform of the European Union’s legal regime for fishing of deep-sea stocks in the north-east Atlantic and provisions for fishing in international waters of the north-east Atlantic, as adopted through Regulation (eu) 2016/2336. The concept of deep-sea fisheries, a brief description of the work done by the Union so far in relation to the conservation and management of these fish stocks, as well as the specific provisions of this reform are presented.