bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Murine Vaginal Creep Response to Altered Mechanical Loads
Authors: Clark-Patterson Gabrielle L. , McGuire Jeffrey A. , Desrosiers Laurephile , Knoepp Leise R. , De Vita Raffaella , Miller Kristin S. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The vagina is a viscoelastic fibromuscular organ that provides support to the pelvic organs. The viscoelastic properties of the vagina are understudied but may be critical for pelvic stability. Most studies evaluate vaginal viscoelasticity under a single uniaxial load; however, the vagina is subjected to dynamic multiaxial loading in the body. It is unknown how varied multiaxial loading conditions affect vaginal viscoelastic behavior and which microstructural processes dictate the viscoelastic response. Therefore, the objective was to develop methods using extension-inflation protocols to quantify vaginal viscoelastic creep under various circumferential and axial loads. Then, the protocol was applied to quantify vaginal creep and collagen microstructure in the fibulin-5 wildtype and haploinsufficient vaginas. To evaluate pressure-dependent creep, the fibulin-5 wildtype and haploinsufficient vaginas (n = 7/genotype) were subjected to various constant pressures at the physiologic length for 100 s. For axial length-dependent creep, the vaginas (n = 7/genotype) were extended to various fixed axial lengths then subjected to the mean in vivo pressure for 100 s. Second-harmonic generation imaging was performed to quantify collagen fiber organization and undulation (n = 3/genotype). Increased pressure significantly increased creep strain in the wildtype, but not the haploinsufficient vagina. The axial length did not significantly affect the creep rate or strain in both genotypes. Collagen undulation varied through the depth of the subepithelium but not between genotypes. These findings suggest that the creep response to loading may vary with biological processes and pathologies, therefore, evaluating vaginal creep under various circumferential loads may be important to understand vaginal function.
Chief cell plasticity is the origin of metaplasia following acute injury in the stomach mucosa
Authors: Caldwell Brianna , Meyer Anne R , Weis Jared A , Engevik Amy C , Choi Eunyoung 
Published: September 2021

ObjectiveMetaplasia arises from differentiated cell types in response to injury and is considered a precursor in many cancers. Heterogeneous cell lineages are present in the reparative metaplastic mucosa with response to injury, including foveolar cells, proliferating cells and spasmolytic polypeptide-expressing metaplasia (SPEM) cells, a key metaplastic cell population. Zymogen-secreting chief cells are long-lived cells in the stomach mucosa and have been considered the origin of SPEM cells; however, a conflicting paradigm has proposed isthmal progenitor cells as an origin for SPEM.DesignGastric intrinsic factor (GIF) is a stomach tissue-specific gene and exhibits protein expression unique to mature mouse chief cells. We generated a novel chief cell-specific driver mouse allele, GIF-rtTA. GIF-GFP reporter mice were used to validate specificity of GIF-rtTA driver in chief cells. GIF-Cre-RnTnG mice were used to perform lineage tracing during homoeostasis and acute metaplasia development. L635 treatment was used to induce acute mucosal injury and coimmunofluorescence staining was performed for various gastric lineage markers.ResultsWe demonstrated that mature chief cells, rather than isthmal progenitor cells, serve as the predominant origin of SPEM cells during the metaplastic process after acute mucosal injury. Furthermore, we observed long-term label-retaining chief cells at 1 year after the GFP labelling in chief cells. However, only a very small subset of the long-term label-retaining chief cells displayed the reprogramming ability in homoeostasis. In contrast, we identified chief cell-originating SPEM cells as contributing to lineages within foveolar cell hyperplasia in response to the acute mucosal injury.ConclusionOur study provides pivotal evidence for cell plasticity and lineage contributions from differentiated gastric chief cells during acute metaplasia development.
Impact of afterload and infiltration on coexisting aortic stenosis and transthyretin amyloidosis
Authors: Patel Kush P , Scully Paul Richard , Nitsche Christian , Kammerlander Andreas A , Joy George , Thornton George , Hughes Rebecca , Williams Suzanne , Tillin Therese , Captur Gabriella , Chacko Liza , Kelion Andrew , Sabharwal Nikant , Newton James D , Kennon Simon , Ozkor Mick , Mullen Michael , Hawkins Philip N , Gillmore Julian D , Menezes Leon , Pugliese Francesca , Hughes Alun D , Fontana Marianna , Lloyd Guy , Treibel Thomas A , Mascherbauer Julia , Moon James C 
Published: September 2021

ObjectiveThe coexistence of wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR) is common in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). However, the impact of ATTR and AS on the resultant AS-ATTR is unclear and poses diagnostic and management challenges. We therefore used a multicohort approach to evaluate myocardial structure, function, stress and damage by assessing age-related, afterload-related and amyloid-related remodelling on the resultant AS-ATTR phenotype.MethodsWe compared four samples (n=583): 359 patients with AS, 107 with ATTR (97% Perugini grade 2), 36 with AS-ATTR (92% Perugini grade 2) and 81 age-matched and ethnicity-matched controls. 99mTc-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (DPD) scintigraphy was used to diagnose amyloidosis (Perugini grade 1 was excluded). The primary end-point was NT-pro Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and secondary end-points related to myocardial structure, function and damage.ResultsCompared with older age controls, the three disease cohorts had greater cardiac remodelling, worse function and elevated NT-proBNP/high-sensitivity Troponin-T (hsTnT). NT-proBNP was higher in AS-ATTR (2844 (1745, 4635) ng/dL) compared with AS (1294 (1077, 1554)ng/dL; p=0.002) and not significantly different to ATTR (3272 (2552, 4197) ng/dL; p=0.63). Diastology, hsTnT and prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome were statistically similar between AS-ATTR and ATTR and higher than AS. The left ventricular mass indexed in AS-ATTR was lower than ATTR (139 (112, 167) vs 180 (167, 194) g; p=0.013) and non-significantly different to AS (120 (109, 130) g; p=0.179).ConclusionsThe AS-ATTR phenotype likely reflects an early stage of amyloid infiltration, but the combined insult resembles ATTR. Even after treatment of AS, ATTR-specific therapy is therefore likely to be beneficial.
High $$P_T$$ Higgs excess as a signal of non-local QFT at the LHC
Authors: Su Xing-Fu , Li You-Ying , Nicolaidou Rosy , Chen Min , Wu Hsin-Yeh , Paganis Stathes 
Published: September 2021

AbstractNon-local extensions of the Standard Model with a non-locality scale $$\varLambda _{NL}$$

Λ

NL

have the effect of smearing the pointlike vertices of the Standard Model. At energies significantly lower than $$\varLambda _{NL}$$

Λ

NL

vertices appear pointlike, while beyond this scale all beta functions vanish and all couplings approach a fixed point leading to scale invariance. Non-local SM extensions are ghost free, with the non-locality scale serving as an effective cutoff to radiative corrections of the Higgs mass. We argue that the data expected to be collected at the LHC phase 2 will have a sensitivity to non-local effects originating from a non-locality scale of a few TeV. Using an infinite derivative prescription, we study modifications to heavy vector-boson cross sections that can lead to an enhanced production of boosted Higgs bosons in a region of the kinematic phase space where the SM background is very small.
Using wearable proximity sensors to characterize social contact patterns in a village of rural Malawi
Authors: Ozella Laura , Paolotti Daniela , Lichand Guilherme , Rodríguez Jorge P. , Haenni Simon , Phuka John , Leal-Neto Onicio B. , Cattuto Ciro 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMeasuring close proximity interactions between individuals can provide key information on social contacts in human communities and related behaviours. This is even more essential in rural settings in low- and middle-income countries where there is a need to understand contact patterns for the implementation of strategies for social protection interventions. We report the quantitative assessment of contact patterns in a village in rural Malawi, based on proximity sensors technology that allows for high-resolution measurements of social contacts. Our results revealed that the community structure of the village was highly correlated with the household membership of the individuals, thus confirming the importance of the family ties within the village. Social contacts within households occurred mainly between adults and children, and adults and adolescents and most of the inter-household social relationships occurred among adults and among adolescents. At the individual level, age and gender social assortment were observed in the inter-household network, and age disassortativity was instead observed in intra-household networks. Moreover, we obtained a clear trend of the daily contact activity of the village. Family members congregated in the early morning, during lunch time and dinner time. In contrast, inter-household contact activity displayed a growth from the morning, reaching a maximum in the afternoon.The proximity sensors technology used in this study provided high resolution temporal data characterized by timescales comparable with those intrinsic to social dynamics and it thus allowed to have access to the level of information needed to understand the social context of the village.
Forms as Forces: The Causal Regime of Morphology in Biology
Authors: Toepfer Georg 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Traditionally, morphology is seen merely as an auxiliary subdiscipline of biology and other fields. Allegedly, it does not provide explanations for phenomena but merely describes forms as a preliminary step in their analysis. Here, the view is defended that forms, and hence morphology, can also take over an important explanatory function and even, ultimately, constitute the explanatory level fundamental to biology as a distinct science. According to this thesis, the form of organisms and their parts provide the only specifically biological causal factors. Nothing but the form, the specific spatial arrangement of matter, determines the peculiarity of organisms’ ways of being. Therefore, biological explanation must start from specific structures. These structures provide the respective boundary conditions for harnessing the general laws of nature, thus determining their trajectory. Ultimately, then, forms play the most fundamental explanatory role in biology.
Increased prevalence of deep vein thrombosis and mortality in patients with Covid-19 at a referral center in Brazil
Authors: Pereira de Godoy Jose Maria , Russeff Gleison Juliano da Silva , Cunha Carolina Hungaro , Sato Debora Yuri , Silva Desirée Franccini Del Frari , Godoy Henrique Jose Pereira de , Silva Mariana Orate Menezes da , Amorim Henrique , Soares Marina Morães Lopes , Godoy Maria de Fatima Guerreiro 
Published: September 2021

Background Among the multiple complex pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Covid-19 pneumonia, immunothrombosis has been shown to play a key role. Objective The aim of the present study was to assess the monthly prevalence of deep venous thrombosis in a university hospital that admitted 5159 patients with Covid-19 in the medical ward and intensive care unit (ICU) and investigate whether there has been an increase in the prevalence of deep vein thrombosis and dead recently. Method A clinical trial was conducted evaluating 5159 patients admitted to the university hospital, Hospital de Base in São Jose do Rio Preto-Brazil, with a positive test for Covid-19, the prevalence of monthly deep venous thrombosis and the increase in thrombotic and events and mortality in March 2020 to April 2021 compared to the previous January and February with March–April of 2021. The evaluated by Fisher's exact test. Results The prevalence of deep vein thrombosis varied between the months of 0.26% to 7%, with an average of 2.5%. The months of March and April 2021 had a significant increase in venous thrombosis and mortality in relation to the months of January and February 2021. Conclusion The prevalence of deep venous thrombosis was variable during the months evaluated, since the beginning of Covid-19, but there was a significant increase in these last two months.
Focally administered succinate improves cerebral metabolism in traumatic brain injury patients with mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Khellaf Abdelhakim , Garcia Nuria Marco , Tajsic Tamara , Alam Aftab , Stovell Matthew G , Killen Monica J , Howe Duncan J , Guilfoyle Mathew R , Jalloh Ibrahim , Timofeev Ivan , Murphy Michael P , Carpenter T Adrian , Menon David K , Ercole Ari , Hutchinson Peter J , Carpenter Keri LH , Thelin Eric P , Helmy Adel 
Published: September 2021

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), raised cerebral lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR) reflects impaired energy metabolism. Raised LPR correlates with poor outcome and mortality following TBI. We prospectively recruited patients with TBI requiring neurocritical care and multimodal monitoring, and utilised a tiered management protocol targeting LPR. We identified patients with persistent raised LPR despite adequate cerebral glucose and oxygen provision, which we clinically classified as cerebral ‘mitochondrial dysfunction’ (MD). In patients with TBI and MD, we administered disodium 2,3-13C2 succinate (12 mmol/L) by retrodialysis into the monitored region of the brain. We recovered 13C-labelled metabolites by microdialysis and utilised nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) for identification and quantification. Of 33 patients with complete monitoring, 73% had MD at some point during monitoring. In 5 patients with multimodality-defined MD, succinate administration resulted in reduced LPR(−12%) and raised brain glucose(+17%). NMR of microdialysates demonstrated that the exogenous 13C-labelled succinate was metabolised intracellularly via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. By targeting LPR using a tiered clinical algorithm incorporating intracranial pressure, brain tissue oxygenation and microdialysis parameters, we identified MD in TBI patients requiring neurointensive care. In these, focal succinate administration improved energy metabolism, evidenced by reduction in LPR. Succinate merits further investigation for TBI therapy.
Bridging Allograft Reconstruction Is Superior to Maximal Repair for the Treatment of Chronic, Massive Rotator Cuff Tears: Results of a Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Wong Ivan , Sparavalo Sara , King John-Paul , Coady Catherine M. 
Published: September 2021

Background: Despite advances in surgical techniques, the use of maximal repair to treat large or massive rotator cuff tears results in a high retear rate postoperatively. Currently, no randomized controlled trials have compared the outcomes of maximal repair with interposition dermal allograft bridging reconstruction. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that large or massive rotator cuff tendon tears reconstructed using bridging dermal allograft would have better clinical outcomes 2 years postoperatively, as measured using the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index, than would those receiving the current gold standard treatment of debridement and maximal repair alone. We also expected that patients treated via bridging reconstruction using dermal allograft would have fewer postoperative failures as assessed using postoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence 1. Methods: A sample size of 30 patients (determined using a priori sample size calculation) with massive, retracted rotator cuff tears were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups: maximal repair or bridging reconstruction using dermal allograft. All patients completed questionnaires (WORC and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH]) preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. The primary outcome of this study was the WORC index at 2 years. Secondary outcomes included healing rate, progression of rotator cuff arthropathy, and postoperative acromiohumeral distance in both groups. Results: Patients treated via bridging reconstruction using dermal allograft had better postoperative WORC and DASH scores (23.93 ± 24.55 and 15.77 ± 19.27, respectively) compared with patients who received maximal repair alone (53.36 ± 31.93 and 34.32 ± 23.31, respectively). We also noted increased progression to rotator cuff arthropathy in the maximal repair group with an increased retear rate when compared with the reconstruction group (87% and 21%, respectively; P < .001). The acromiohumeral distance was maintained in the reconstruction group but significantly decreased in the maximal repair group. Conclusion: Rotator cuff bridging reconstruction using a dermal allograft demonstrated improved patient-reported outcomes as measured using the WORC index 2 years postoperatively. This technique also showed favorable structural healing rates and decreased progression to arthropathy compared with maximal repair. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01987973)
The Feasibility of Virtual VitalTalk Workshops in Japanese: Can Faculty Members in the US Effectively Teach Communication Skills Virtually to Learners in Japan?
Authors: Ito Kaori , Uemura Takeshi , Yuasa Misuzu , Onishi Eriko , Shiozawa Youkie , Ishikawa Hirono , Ouchi Kei , Nakagawa Shunichi 
Published: September 2021

Background: VitalTalk is an established training program for serious illness conversations in the US. Previously, this training course has been provided in-person in Japanese, but never virtually. Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of a virtually administered VitalTalk workshop in Japanese. Setting/Subjects: We conducted a virtual workshop which consisted of 2 days (3 hours per day) of synchronous sessions and preceding asynchronous modules. Five VitalTalk faculty members in the US facilitated 4 workshops for 48 physicians from 33 institutions across Japan. Learners completed surveys before and after the workshop. Measurements: To evaluate the feasibility, learners were asked for their satisfaction with the workshop and the virtual format as primary outcomes and their self-assessed preparedness in serious illness communication as the secondary outcome. Each question employed a 5-point Likert scale. Results: All learners (n = 48, male 79%) participated in the survey. The mean score of the learners’ satisfaction was 4.69 or higher in all questions. The mean score of the virtual format’s satisfaction was 4.33 or higher in all questions. The mean score of self-reported preparedness on the 11 questions were between 2.30 and 3.34 before the workshop, all of which significantly increased to 3.08 through 3.96 after the workshop (p < 0.01 in all questions). Conclusion: Learners in Japan perceived the virtual format of our VitalTalk workshop as satisfactory, and their self-reported preparedness improved significantly after the workshop. VitalTalk faculty members in the US were able to provide virtual communication training to physicians in Japan.
Does intravenous contrast medium administration result in altered renal biomarkers? A study in clinically stable cats with and without azotemia
Authors: Prüllage Maria Laura , Schwendenwein Ilse , Eberspächer-Schweda Eva , Kneissl Sibylle 
Published: September 2021

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of post-contrast acute kidney injury or comparable side effects on kidney function in cats receiving the non-ionic, iodinated agent ioversol and/or paramagnetic agent gadoteric acid. Methods Fifty-two animals were divided into four groups on the basis of contrast medium administration for imaging: ioversol (n = 27), gadoteric acid (n = 12), dual contrast media (n = 4) or control, which received an infusion of isotone intravenous fluids only during anaesthesia (n = 9). Blood and urine samples were obtained three times after contrast administration and compared with values obtained prior to administration of the contrast medium. Creatinine (<1.60 mg/dl), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA; ⩽14 μg/dl), urine protein:creatinine ratio (UPC; <0.2) and critical differences for creatinine (<0.3 mg/dl) and SDMA (<5.98 μg/dl) were measured. Results No significant short-term effects on mean creatinine, SDMA and UPC measurements were seen. Borderline proteinuria (UPC, 0.2–0.4) was detected in 11.4% of cases after contrast media administration. A UPC of more than 0.2 in five cases indicated that contrast media may affect kidney function, leading to (transient) proteinuria. Conclusions and relevance This study found no side effect on renal function following the administration of ioversol or gadoteric acid, provided patients were adequately hydrated. However, the clinical relevance of proteinuria in some cats needs to be evaluated in future studies.
Static and dynamic pupillary characteristics in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Muhafiz Ersin , Bozkurt Erdinç , Erdoğan Can Emre , Nizamoğulları Şerif , Demir Mehmet Siraç 
Published: September 2021

Purpose: To examine the static and dynamic pupillary functions with automated pupillography in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with preserved visual acuity. Methods: Forty-seven MS patients with preserved visual acuity were included in the study group and 43 healthy volunteers in the control group. The visual evoked potential of the patients was obtained. After routine ophthalmologic examination contrast sensitivity and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were measured. Finally scotopic, mesopic, and photopic pupillographies followed by dynamic pupillography were undertaken, and the pupillary dilatation speed was calculated. Results: The contrast sensitivity and RNFL thickness of the MS group were significantly lower than those of the control group ( p < 0.05; for both). In the MS and control groups, the scotopic pupil diameters were 5.48 ± 1.03 and 5.28 ± 0.78 mm, mesopic pupil diameters were 4.82 ± 0.83 and 4.48 ± 0.70 mm, and photopic pupil diameters were 3.84 ± 0.79 and 3.42 ± 0.49 mm, respectively ( p = 0.315, p = 0.044, and p = 0.004, respectively). In dynamic pupillography, the pupil in the MS group was more dilated than control group at all time sections examined except the sixth second ( p < 0.05; for all). Although the mean pupillary dilation speed in the first second was higher in the MS group ( p = 0.044), there was no significant difference between the groups for the other time intervals examined ( p > 0.05; for all). There was no correlation between pupillary parameters and P100-wave latency, RNFL thickness, or contrast sensitivity ( p > 0.05; for all). Conclusions: Static and dynamic pupillary functions may be affected in MS patients with preserved visual acuity. Although scotopic pupillary functions are preserved, mesopic, and photopic pupil functions are weakened.