bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A simplified wall-based model for regional innervation/perfusion mismatch assessed by cardiac 123I-mIBG and rest 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT to predict arrhythmic events in ischaemic heart failure
Authors: Verschure Derk O , Poel Edwin , Travin Mark I , Henzlova Milena J , Jain Diwakar , Jacobson Arnold F , Verberne Hein J 
Published: June 2021

Abstract

Aims
Cardiac 123iodine-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (123I-mIBG) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging provides information on regional myocardial innervation. However, the value of the commonly used 17-segment summed defect score (SDS) as a prognostic marker is uncertain. The present study examined whether a simpler regional scoring approach for evaluation of 123I-mIBG SPECT combined with rest 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging could improve prediction of arrhythmic events (AEs) in patients with ischaemic heart failure (HF).

Methods and Results
Five hundred and two ischaemic HF subjects of the ADMIRE-HF study with complete cardiac 123I-mIBG and rest 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT studies were included. Both SPECT image sets were read together by two experienced nuclear imagers and scored by consensus. In addition to standard 17-segment scoring, the readers classified walls (i.e. anterior, lateral, inferior, septum and apex) as normal, matched defect, mismatched (innervation defect &gt; perfusion defect), or reverse mismatched (perfusion defect &gt; innervation defect). Cox proportional hazards ratios (HRs) were used to determine if age, body mass index, functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), norepinephrine, 123I-mIBG SDS, 99mTc-tetrofosmin SDS, innervation/perfusion mismatch SDS, and our simplified visual innervation/perfusion wall classification were associated with occurrence of AEs (i.e. sudden cardiac death, sustained ventricular tachycardia, resuscitated cardiac arrest, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy). At 2-year median follow-up, 52 subjects (10.4%) had AEs. Subjects with 1 or 2 mismatched walls were twice as likely to have AEs compared with subjects with either 0 or 3–5 mismatched walls (16.3% vs. 8.3%, P = 0.010). Cox regression analyses showed that patients with a visual mismatch in 1-2 walls had an almost two times higher risk of AEs [HR 2.084 (1.109–3.914), P = 0.001]. None of the other innervation, perfusion and mismatch scores using standard 17 segments were associated with AEs. BNP (ng/L) was the only non-imaging parameter associated with AEs.

Conclusion
A visual left ventricular wall-level based scoring method identified highest AE risk in ischaemic HF subjects with intermediate levels of innervation/perfusion mismatches. This simple technique for the evaluation of SPECT studies, which are often challenging in HF subjects, seems to be superior to the 17-segment scoring method.
Preventing the Bad from Getting Worse: The End of the World (Trade Organization) As We Know It?
Authors: Hoekman Bernard M , Mavroidis Petros C 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
Recent survey evidence illustrates that many World Trade Organization (WTO) members and trade practitioners believe that the WTO dispute settlement system needs improvement. We make several proposals to improve the operation of WTO conflict resolution, drawing on proposals made by WTO members in the long-running negotiations to improve WTO dispute settlement procedures. We argue that a focus on technical dimensions of dispute settlement is insufficient to prevent a steady decline in the salience of the organization. Revitalizing the WTO as a forum for rule-making is needed both to address the cross-border policy spillovers driving trade conflicts between the major trading powers and to improve WTO conflict resolution. Principals – WTO members – should accept that negotiations to clarify and extend existing rules must be an element of a robust system of dispute settlement and that bolstering WTO dispute settlement is a necessary condition for nascent efforts at plurilateral rule-making to be successful.
The Symbiotic Relationship Between Scientific Quality and Animal Research Ethics
Authors: Brill Samuel A , Guerrero-Martin Selena M , Metcalf Pate Kelly A 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
Researchers have worked with animals as models for decades to expand our knowledge of basic biological processes and to systematically study the physiology of disease. In general, the public has an expectation that work with animals has a purpose and will ultimately reap benefits. The likelihood of such an outcome is directly dependent on the quality of the science being conducted with those animals. However, not all frameworks for consideration of the ethics around animal research overtly consider scientific quality. In the following review, we explore the complex relationship between scientific quality and animal research ethics. We advocate for the development of a detailed “Harm-Yield Analysis” for the evaluation of biomedical animal research that emphasizes scientific quality along with societal benefit in the ethical justification of the research. We reflect on the lost opportunity to establish best practices in animal research early in the career of scientists by introducing in the curriculum and encouraging the use of a paradigm of the iterative consideration of the ethics of animal research alongside other aspects of experimental design.
A computational method for direct imputation of cell type-specific expression profiles and cellular compositions from bulk-tissue RNA-Seq in brain disorders
Authors: Doostparast Torshizi Abolfazl , Duan Jubao , Wang Kai 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe importance of cell type-specific gene expression in disease-relevant tissues is increasingly recognized in genetic studies of complex diseases. However, most gene expression studies are conducted on bulk tissues, without examining cell type-specific expression profiles. Several computational methods are available for cell type deconvolution (i.e. inference of cellular composition) from bulk RNA-Seq data, but few of them impute cell type-specific expression profiles. We hypothesize that with external prior information such as single cell RNA-seq and population-wide expression profiles, it can be computationally tractable to estimate both cellular composition and cell type-specific expression from bulk RNA-Seq data. Here we introduce CellR, which addresses cross-individual gene expression variations to adjust the weights of cell-specific gene markers. It then transforms the deconvolution problem into a linear programming model while taking into account inter/intra cellular correlations and uses a multi-variate stochastic search algorithm to estimate the cell type-specific expression profiles. Analyses on several complex diseases such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and type 2 diabetes validated the efficiency of CellR, while revealing how specific cell types contribute to different diseases. In summary, CellR compares favorably against competing approaches, enabling cell type-specific re-analysis of gene expression data on bulk tissues in complex diseases.
Clinical Outcomes With Definitive Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia With Retained Daptomycin and Ceftaroline Combination Therapy vs De-escalation to Monotherapy With Vancomycin, Daptomycin, or Ceftaroline
Authors: Nichols Courtney N , Wardlow Lynn C , Coe Kelci E , Sobhanie Mohammad Mahdee E 
Published: June 2021

Abstract

Background
Lower mortality has been observed with combination therapy compared to monotherapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia; however, there is a lack of evidence for continued combination therapy over de-escalation to monotherapy following bacteremia clearance.

Methods
This was a single-center, retrospective study evaluating patients with MRSA bacteremia hospitalized from November 1, 2011, through July 31, 2019. Patients who received three to ten days of combination therapy followed by de-escalation to monotherapy were directly compared to patients retained on combination therapy. The primary composite outcome included inpatient infection-related mortality, 60-day readmission, and 60-day bacteremia recurrence.

Results
A total of 286 patients with MRSA bacteremia were identified, with 146 patients omitted based on exclusion criteria. The study population included 66 in the combination therapy group and 74 in the monotherapy group. Study population was 51% female (n = 71) and 78% white (n = 109) with median age of 46 years (IQR 34.5–61). No significant difference was observed in the primary composite outcome (21% combination therapy group vs 24% monotherapy group; P =.66), with retained observations after controlling for confounders. Within this outcome, there was no significant difference in 60-day readmission (20% combination therapy group vs 18% monotherapy group; P =.75), bacteremia recurrence (3% combination therapy group vs 7% monotherapy group; P =.45), or inpatient infection-related mortality (2% combination therapy group vs 5% monotherapy group; P = 1.00).

Conclusions
No difference was found in the composite outcome of 60-day bacteremia recurrence, readmission, or inpatient infection-related mortality for patients with MRSA bacteremia retained on combination therapy versus those de-escalated to monotherapy.
Feminist Philosophy of Language in the Analytic Tradition
Authors: McGowan Mary Kate 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
This chapter offers an overview of some central themes and issues in analytic feminist philosophy of language. Ways in which parts of language, language as a whole, or our study of it involve assumptions about gender are discussed. More recent feminist applications of the tools of analytic philosophy of language to social phenomena are also explored. This includes slurs, generics, silencing, and the speech act approach to both pornography and hate racist hate speech. Ways in which extent feminist work has changed or entered the mainstream of the field, and current and future directions in analytic feminist philosophy of language are also briefly discussed.
The psychological impact of threat and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic: exacerbating factors and mitigating actions
Authors: van Mulukom Valerie , Muzzulini Barbara , Rutjens Bastiaan T , van Lissa Caspar J , Farias Miguel 
Published: June 2021

Abstract
In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. The threat the pandemic poses as well as associated lockdown measures created challenging times for many. This study aimed to investigate the individual and social factors associated with low mental health, particularly perceived threat and lockdown measures, and factors associated with psychological well-being, particularly sense of control. An online survey was completed by participants (N = 8,229) recruited from 79 countries. In line with pre-registered hypotheses, participants showed elevated levels of anxiety and depression worldwide. This poor mental health was predicted by perceived threat. The effect of threat on depression was further moderated by social isolation, but there was no effect of sense of control. Sense of control was low overall, and was predicted negatively by maladaptive coping, but positively by adaptive coping and the perception that the government is dealing with the outbreak. Social isolation increased with quarantine duration, but was mitigated by frequent communication with close ones. Engaging in individual actions to avoid contracting the virus was associated with higher anxiety, except when done professionally. We suggest that early lockdown of the pandemic may have had detrimental psychological effects, which may be alleviated by individual actions such as maintaining frequent social contact and adaptive coping, and by governmental actions which demonstrate support in a public health crisis. Citizens and governments can work together to adapt better to restrictive but necessary measures during the current and future pandemics.
Developmental horizons in quadrupedal and leaping primates
Authors: Rader Hannah M , Violi Dominic A , Llera Catherine J , Young Jesse W , Vinyard Christopher J , DeLeon Valerie B , Smith Timothy D 
Published: June 2021

Recent work on development of primates indicates the body develops in a highly modular manner; that is, different systems (e.g., neural versus muscular) have different rates of growth and may be influenced by independent selective pressures. Here, we investigate age‐related changes in limb muscle mass, limb bone length, as well as the relative status of skeletal ossification and tooth mineralization at birth in two species of primates. Cheirogaleus medius, an arboreal quadruped, and Galago moholi, a vertical clinger/leaper, were studied. Both neonatal and adult primates were dissected from both species and analyzed for potential similarities and differences in developmental schedules. Limb muscle mass and limb bone lengths were measured in all specimens. Cranial and dental development of neonates was assessed using computed tomographic reconstructions and histology. In hindlimb (thigh vs. leg) muscle mass distribution, Galago had a drastic change from neonate to adult via differentially more growth in the thigh (increasing from 57 to 83 % of total hindlimb muscle mass). Alternatively, muscle mass distribution in the forelimb remains stable across age in both species postnatally. More tarsals (3) and ankle epiphyses (1 to 3) have commenced ossification in newborn Galago compared to Cheirogaleus (2 tarsals, 0 epiphyses), but the lack of ossification in carpals and wrist epiphyses is similar. Intermembral index (IMI) ‐ (Humerus+Radius)*100/(Femur+Tibia) ‐ decreases postnatally in both species. Limb muscle mass index (forelimb muscle mass*100/hindlimb muscle mass) decreases postnatally in both species, more drastically than IMI; the overall index is much lower in Galago compared to Cheirogaleus already at birth. Neonatal Galago is relatively more advanced in cranial ossification. For example, the nasal capsule is more ossified (e.g., mesethmoid center has appeared at birth). The mineralization of deciduous teeth reached similar levels at birth in the two species. However, Cheirogaleus has more mineralized replacement teeth as a neonate than Galago. Results support the hypothesis of highly modular development across age in primates, and suggest that muscular, skeletal, and dental structures can respond differentially to selection pressures. In addition, though both primates are initially nest‐bound, advanced hindlimb development in Galago suggests that adaptations for an upright lifestyle (vertical clinging and leaping) are apparent in development well before infants can locomote independently.Support or Funding InformationBCS‐0959438, BCS‐1231350, BCS‐1231717, BCS‐1728263, BCS‐1830894, and BCS‐1830919.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Healthy Primary Epithelial Cells Show an Elevated Inflammatory Response to Bacterial Stimulus Compared to COPD Cells
Authors: Carson Stephen A , Reihill James A , Fulton Catherine R , McGarvey Lorcan P , Lundy Fionnuala T , Crilly Anne , Thornbury Keith D 
Published: June 2021

Exacerbations are frequently occurring events in the progression of COPD and are characterised by a sudden reduction in lung function associated with increased airway inflammation and sputum production. Triggers such as bacterial infection can lead to hospitalisation and increased mortality.The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the response of COPD and healthy airway cells to bacterial stimulus by measuring levels of host inflammatory mediators.Two clinically relevant strains of bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae) were heat‐inactivated and co‐cultured at an established non‐toxic multiplicity of infection (MOI) 25:1 for 24 hours with primary human airway epithelial cells obtained from a healthy and COPD donor, grown at air‐liquid interface. Cell‐conditioned media was removed and analysed using the Bio‐Plex Pro™ Human Inflammation Panel 1, 37‐Plex assay (Bio‐Rad)Cytokines and other pro‐inflammatory proteins, as previously established, were generally stimulated in response to heat‐inactivated pathogens. However, on assessment of the Bioplex panel as a whole, H. influenzae showed increased potential to induce the production of cytokines/proteins to a greater level than S. pneumoniae. The greatest overall increases were seen with the healthy cells (28/37 analytes), indicating that they are potentially more capable of mounting an acute inflammatory response than COPD cells.Support or Funding InformationBREATH (Border and REgions Airways Training Hub) is funded by the EU's INTERREG Va programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Using Facebook as a Learning Medium in Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) Courses
Authors: Azim Homaira M , Byram Jessica N 
Published: June 2021

Social networking sites such as Facebook have recently been shown to have great pedagogical potential especially for undergraduate students whose time is typically spent more online rather than in their physical persons. Even so, in most A&P courses the use of online technologies is limited to learning management systems (LMS). This mixed‐method study aimed to examine the impact of using a Facebook group page in addition to LMS in undergraduate A&P courses at one community college. Research participants consisted of all students enrolled in two A&P 101 courses (N=39) that were offered over two successive semesters. The experimental group consisted of N=19 students enrolled in Spring 2017, whereas control group consisted of N=20 students enrolled in Fall 2016. Both courses were taught by the same instructor (author, HA) using identical instructional and assessment materials – except for the Facebook platform which was introduced only to the experimental group as an independent variable. Student achievements between two groups were measured using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods included direct observation, document analysis, and student‐filled questionnaires collected from all participants. Quantitative data consisted of individual student demographic and dropout (yes/no) data as well as formal course gradebooks. Each of the four unit‐exam scores, final course grade (%), and student dropouts were selected as the main study variables. Statistical methods including independent t‐tests, chi‐square tests, and multiple regression analysis were performed to test the hypotheses suggesting that use of Facebook had a positive impact on students' academic achievements as well as reducing student dropouts. Both hypotheses were confirmed by statistical analyses (p<.05 and p<.001, respectively). Moreover, results from the thematic analysis of the qualitative data suggested that students who used Facebook were able to more easily connect with other students and make better use of peer‐learning study circles. They also engaged with class materials more actively, deeply, and playfully which helped them become more intrinsically motivated to learn. Therefore, the findings of this study indicate that using Facebook as an additional learning platform can provide undergraduate A&P students with more opportunities for active learning. Furthermore, using Facebook can enhance students' academic gain and reduce the student dropout rates.Support or Funding Informationnone.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Is a Dissective Virtual Reality Model an Effective Learning Tool?
Authors: Aggarwal Akanksha , Birk Sapriya Kaur , Hass Katrina , Gill Jaskaran Singh , Mitchell Josh , Fenesi Barb , Wainman Bruce 
Published: June 2021

Three‐dimensional (3D) visualization technology such as virtual reality (VR) has the ability to illustrate and replicate physical dissection, and its novelty has captured the interest of many educational institutions. Unfortunately, the testing of 3D technology lags behind development, and most research is confined to case studies. This study's objective is to (1) analyze the short‐term and long‐term efficacy of VR dissection technology compared to an interactive, physical dissective model, and (2) determine if other factors, such as spatial ability, impacts the effectiveness of learning anatomy from VR models. Based on previous research in our lab, static physical models have been shown to be superior to VR models when learning anatomy. Thus, the physical dissection model is hypothesized to perform better in teaching anatomy. The interactive, physical model consists of a 3D‐printed bony pelvis and fabric perineal structures to effectively display the dissections. The physical model was scanned to produce an identical VR replica which is displayed on an HTC Vive. This crossover study will use undergraduate McMaster University students (n=52) with no formal anatomy education. Participants will be asked to learn anatomical structures from both physical and VR models, and be tested on the knowledge from each model in two separate tests. After 48 hours, they will be tested to determine if either model exhibits better long‐term retention. Tests will include nominal, functional, and spatial questions to assess recognition, critical thinking, and spatial awareness. Preliminary data (n=13) suggests that there is no statistically significant difference between either models when learning anatomy during short‐term testing (p=0.24) and long‐term testing (p=0.054). On short‐term retention tests, participants are receiving an average score of 7(3) and 6(2) out of 15 when learning from the VR and physical models, respectively. During long‐term testing, participants are achieving an average score of 7(3) and 5(2) out of 15 when also learning from the VR and physical models, respectively. Data collection is underway and expected to yield complete results by January 2019. Data from additional participants will further elucidate the impact of VR and physical dissection models on student learning. These results could help guide and improve the development of future anatomy education programs.Support or Funding InformationThis project was self‐funded.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.