bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of providing artificial shade to pregnant grazing beef heifers on vaginal temperature, growth, activity, and behavior
Authors: Silva Gleise M , Cangiano Lautaro R , Fabris Thiago F , Merenda Victoria R , Chebel Ricardo C , Dubeux Jose Carlos Batista , DiLorenzo Nicolas , Laporta Jimena 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
This experiment evaluated the effects of providing artificial shade during summer on activity, behavior, and growth performance of pregnant grazing beef heifers. Thirty-six black-hided Angus and Angus crossbred pregnant heifers [418 ± 9 kg body weight (BW); approximately 90 d of gestation] were stratified by breed, blocked by BW, and allocated to 12 “Pensacola” bahiagrass pastures (Paspalum notatum Flüggé; 1.3 ha, n = 3 heifers/pasture) with or without access to artificial shade (SHADE vs. NO SHADE; 6 pastures each) for 7 wk during summer. The shade structures were composed of shade cloth (11 × 7.3 m length, 2.4 m height: 26.8 m2 of shade per heifer). Shrunk BW was recorded on enrollment (day 0) and week 7 (day 47), whereas full BW was obtained on week 2 (day 14), 4 (day 28), and 6 (day 42) to assess average daily gain (ADG). Vaginal temperature was recorded for five consecutive days during weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7 using an intravaginal digital thermo-logger, and individual GPS devices were used to quantify the use of shade for an 8-h period. Activity was monitored using automated monitoring devices (HR-LDn tags SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel) through the experimental period. Vaginal temperature was lower (P &lt; 0.01) for heifers in the SHADE compared with heifers in the NO SHADE treatment from 1200 to 1600 h and 1100 to 1900 h for weeks 1 and 3, respectively. Heifers in the SHADE treatment spent 70% of the 8-h period evaluated under the shaded structure. Provision of shade increased (P &lt; 0.01) daily lying time (11.4 ± 0.2 vs. 10.3 ± 0.2 h/d) and standing bouts per day (P &lt; 0.01; 12.6 ± 0.4 vs. 10.8 ± 0.4 bouts/d), whereas it reduced (P &lt; 0.01) standing bout duration (61.6 ± 3.0 vs. 82.9 ± 3.0 min/bout) relative to heifers without access to shade. The interaction between treatment and hour affected (P &lt; 0.01) daily rumination time because heifers with access to SHADE had greater rumination between 1000 and 1200 h. Although ADG tended (P = 0.08) to be greater for the heifers in the SHADE treatment (0.20 vs. −0.02 kg, respectively), the access to shade did not (P = 0.79) affect the final BW. In conclusion, providing artificial shade during summer to pregnant grazing beef heifers was effective in reducing vaginal temperatures and exerted changes in heifer behaviors that translated into slight improvements in growth performance.
Transcriptome and proteome analysis suggest enhanced photosynthesis in tetraploid Liriodendron sino-americanum
Authors: Chen Tingting , Sheng Yu , Hao Zhaodong , Long Xiaofei , Fu Fangfang , Liu Yang , Tang Zhonghua , Ali Asif , Peng Ye , Liu Yang , Lu Lu , Hu Xiangyang , Shi Jisen , Chen Jinhui 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Polyploidy generally provides an advantage in phenotypic variation and growth vigor. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The tetraploid Liriodendron sino-americanum (Liriodendron × sinoamericanum P.C Yieh ex C.B. Shang & Zhang R.Wang) exhibits altered morphology compared with its diploid counterpart, including larger, thicker and deeper green leaves, bigger stomata, thicker stems and increased tree height. Such characteristics can be useful in ornamental and industrial applications. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind this variation, we performed a comparative transcriptome and proteome analysis. Our transcriptome data indicated that some photosynthesis genes and pathways were differentially altered and enriched in tetraploid L. sino-americanum, mainly related to F-type ATPase, the cytochrome b6/f complex, photosynthetic electron transport, the light harvesting chlorophyll protein complexes, and photosystem I and II. Most of the differentially expressed proteins we could identify are also involved in photosynthesis. Our physiological results showed that tetraploids have an enhanced photosynthetic capacity, concomitant with great levels of sugar and starch in leaves. This suggests that tetraploid L. sino-americanum might experience comprehensive transcriptome reprogramming of genes related to photosynthesis. This study has especially emphasized molecular changes involved in photosynthesis that accompany polyploidy, and provides a possible explanation for the altered phenotype of polyploidy plants in comparison with their diploid form.
Alpha‐lipoic acid supplementation increases the efficacy of exercise‐ and diet‐induced obesity treatment and induces immunometabolic changes in female mice and women
Authors: Le Garf Sébastien , Sibille Brigitte , Mothe‐Satney Isabelle , Eininger Cyril , Fauque Philippe , Murdaca Joseph , Chinetti Giulia , Neels Jaap G. , Rousseau Anne‐Sophie 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe decrease in the regulatory T cells (Tregs) population is highly involved in adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity. Tregs depend on fatty acids via β‐oxidation for immunosuppressive function adapting their antioxidant systems to allow survival to oxidative stress. In this study, we have hypothesized that a dietary supplementation with alpha‐lipoic acid (ALA), a powerful antioxidant, would improve immunometabolism when added to the classical strategy of obesity treatment. First, we showed by in vitro experiments that ALA favors the polarization of mice CD4 + T cells toward Tregs. Next, we have carried out a translational study where female obese mice and women were supplemented with ALA or vehicle/placebo (mice: 2.5 gALA/kgfood; 6 weeks; women: 600 mgALA/day, 8 weeks) while following a protocol including regular exercise and a change in diet. Fatty acid oxidation potential and activity of nuclear erythroid‐related factor 2 (NRF2) of mouse secondary lymphoid tissues were improved by ALA supplementation. ALA reduced visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass and preserved Tregs in VAT in mice. In women, ALA supplementation induced significant metabolic changes of circulating CD4 + T cells including increased oxidative capacity and fatty acid oxidation, ameliorated their redox status, and improved the reduction of visceral fat mass. While appropriate biological markers are still required to be used in clinics to judge the effectiveness of long‐term obesity treatment, further studies in female mice and women are needed to determine whether these immunometabolic changes would reduce VAT mass‐associated risk for secondary health issues arising from obesity.
Placentas delivered by pre‐pregnant obese women have reduced abundance and diversity in the microbiome
Authors: Benny Paula A. , Al‐Akwaa Fadhl M. , Dirkx Corbin , Schlueter Ryan J. , Wolfgruber Thomas K. , Chern Ingrid Y. , Hoops Suzie , Knights Dan , Garmire Lana X. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMaternal pre‐pregnancy obesity may have an impact on both maternal and fetal health. We examined the microbiome recovered from placentas in a multi‐ethnic maternal pre‐pregnant obesity cohort, through an optimized microbiome protocol to enrich low bacterial biomass samples. We found that the microbiomes recovered from the placentas of obese pre‐pregnant mothers are less abundant and less diverse when compared to those from mothers of normal pre‐pregnancy weight. Microbiome richness also decreases from the maternal side to the fetal side, demonstrating heterogeneity by geolocation within the placenta. In summary, our study shows that the microbiomes recovered from the placentas are associated with pre‐pregnancy obesity.ImportanceMaternal pre‐pregnancy obesity may have an impact on both maternal and fetal health. The placenta is an important organ at the interface of the mother and fetus, and supplies nutrients to the fetus. We report that the microbiomes enriched from the placentas of obese pre‐pregnant mothers are less abundant and less diverse when compared to those from mothers of normal pre‐pregnancy weight. More over, the microbiomes also vary by geolocation within the placenta.
L‐lactate promotes intestinal epithelial cell migration to inhibit colitis
Authors: Yu Yu , Yang Wenjing , Bilotta Anthony J. , Zhao Xiaojing , Cong Yingzi , Li Yanqing 
Published: March 2021

AbstractLactate, one of the most common primary metabolites of bacteria and human cells, has been shown to play essential roles in the regulation of inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases. However, whether and how host‐derived lactate affects intestinal epithelial homeostasis is still not completely understood. Here, we investigated how L‐lactate, mainly produced by host cells, regulates intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) migration to promote intestinal wound healing. Using video microscopy and tracking individual cells, we found that L‐lactate enhanced IEC migration in direction persistence and speed. Mechanistically, L‐lactate promoted IEC mitochondrial ATP production. The mitochondrial ATP synthase inhibitor, oligomycin, significantly decreased IEC persistence and speed, which inhibited cell migration induced by L‐lactate. Furthermore, administering mice with L‐lactate suppressed colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that host‐derived L‐lactate promotes IEC mitochondrial ATP production to drive cell migration, promoting intestinal wound healing to alleviate intestinal inflammation.
Sleep Duration, Bedtime Consistency, and School Readiness: Findings from the 2016 to 2018 National Survey of Children's Health
Authors: Jackson Dylan B. , Testa Alexander , Semenza Daniel C. 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT:

Objective:
The focus of this study is to assess the link between sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and school readiness among a nationally representative sample of preschool-age children in the United States.

Methods:
A sample of 15,402 preschool-age children (3 to 5 years old) from the 3 most recent cohorts (2016–2018) of the National Survey of Children's Health was used. Information about sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and school readiness was obtained from surveys administered to primary caregivers. Four distinct domains of school readiness were examined: early learning skills, self-regulation, social-emotional development, and physical health and motor development.

Results:
The findings reveal that children who obtain 7 or fewer hours of sleep per night exhibit significant reductions in school readiness both within and across all 4 domains. Similar but more modest patterns emerge among children with inconsistent bedtimes.

Conclusion:
Given the potential implications of young children's sleep for school readiness, pediatricians should be prepared and trained to effectively counsel parents about children's sleep patterns during routine well-child visits. Future research should examine whether improvements in sleep hygiene education for parents, behavioral sleep interventions, and/or later school start times once children enter preschool might enhance school readiness by improving children's health and well-being as they enter school.
Parent-Reported Social Skills in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Longitudinal Patterns and Relations with Attention and Cognitive Functioning
Authors: Glad Danielle M. , Casnar Christina L. , Yund Brianna D. , Lee Kristin , Klein-Tasman Bonita P. 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT:

Objective:
Social skills difficulties are commonly reported by parents and teachers of school age (SA) children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Investigations of social skills of young children with NF1 are scarce. This study aimed to characterize the emergence of social skills challenges beginning in early childhood, examine social skills longitudinally into SA, and explore interrelations with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology and cognitive functioning among children with NF1 cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

Method:
Three samples of children with NF1 and their parents participated: (1) early childhood (n = 50; ages 3–6; mean [M] = 3.96, SD = 1.05), (2) SA (n = 40; ages 9–13; [M] = 10.90, SD = 1.59), and (3) both early childhood and SA (n = 25). Parent-reported social skills (Social Skills Rating System and Social Skills Improvement System), ADHD symptomatology (Conners Parent Rating Scales – Revised and Conners – Third Edition), and parent-reported cognitive abilities (Differential Ability Scales – Second Edition) were evaluated.

Results:
Parental ratings of social skills were relatively stable throughout childhood. Ratings of social skills at the end of early childhood significantly predicted school-age social skills. Parental ratings of ADHD symptomatology showed significant negative relations with social skills. Early childhood inattentive symptoms predicted school-age social skills ratings. Cognitive functioning was not significantly related to social skills.

Conclusion:
Parent-reported social skills difficulties are evident during early childhood. This work adds to the literature by describing the frequency and stability of social skills challenges in early childhood and in the school-age period in NF1. Research about interventions to support social skills when difficulties are present is needed.
Helped into Harm
Authors: Rudolph Kara E. , Gimbrone Catherine , Díaz Iván 
Published: March 2021

Background:
Interventions can have harmful effects among subgroups they intend to help. The Moving To Opportunity experiment, in which families were randomized to receive a Section 8 housing voucher, was one example. Voucher receipt generally resulted in better long-term mental health and lower substance use and risk behavior outcomes among adolescent girls, but resulted in worse outcomes among adolescent boys. Reasons for this discrepancy and the unintended harmful health effects for boys are unclear. We used mediation analysis to estimate processes through which voucher receipt was hypothesized to affect adolescent mental health and substance use.

Methods:
We used longitudinal data (10–15 years) on boys enrolled in Moving To Opportunity. We estimated interventional (also known as stochastic) indirect effects of voucher receipt on mental health and substance use outcomes through mediators capturing aspects of the school environment, neighborhood poverty, and instability of the social environment. We also estimated interventional direct effects not operating through these mediators. We used a robust, efficient, nonparametric substitution estimator in the targeted minimum loss-based framework.

Results:
Housing voucher receipt increased long-term risk of any diagnostic statistical manual disorder, any mood disorder, any externalizing disorder, and cigarette smoking among boys. The majority (between 69% and 90%) of the total negative long-term effects could be explained by indirect effects through the mediators considered.

Conclusions:
This evidence suggests that, even though the intervention had the desired effects on neighborhood poverty and the school environment, these “positives” ultimately negatively impacted the long-term mental health and behaviors of boys.
Rocuronium reversed with sugammadex for thymectomy in myasthenia gravis
Authors: Tsukada Sayomi , Shimizu Sayuri , Fushimi Kiyohide 
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND
Postoperative respiratory failure is a serious problem in the anaesthetic management of patients with myasthenia gravis who undergo thymectomy. Although the classical recommendation is to avoid neuromuscular blockers, there is no strong evidence to support it.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the postoperative outcomes in patients with myasthenia gravis after thymectomy when anaesthetic management included rocuronium reversed with sugammadex.

DESIGN
A retrospective cohort study.

SETTING
Nationwide acute in-patient care database.

PATIENTS
A total of 1143 patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent thymectomy were included. Data were collected from the medical insurance claims data of acute care in-patient hospitals.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The postoperative complications when rocuronium reversed with sugammadex was compared against no muscle relaxant use using propensity score matching. The primary outcomes were the rates of in-hospital mortality, plasma exchange following thymectomy and the use of immunoglobulins. The secondary outcomes were the length of stay in the high dependency/ICUs, the total length of hospital stay and the duration and type of respiratory support following thymectomy.

RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the propensity score matched groups in terms of plasma exchange [relative risk, 0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.64 to 1.43] and use of immunoglobulins (relative risk, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.60 to 1.97). The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in patients in whom rocuronium and sugammadex were used: 29.0 vs. 35.4 days, P = 0.035.

CONCLUSIONS
Anaesthetic management with rocuronium reversed by sugammadex was not associated with increased risk of respiratory complications. These findings could help in the anaesthetic management of patients with myasthenia gravis.
Racial differences in outcomes after receiving advanced heart failure therapies
Authors: Steinberg Rebecca S. , Nayak Aditi , Morris Alanna A. 
Published: March 2021

Purpose of review
Despite advances in medical and device-based therapies for advanced heart failure as well as public policy, disparities by race/ethnicity persist in heart failure clinical outcomes. The purpose of this review is to describe disparities in outcomes by race--ethnicity in patients after receipt of heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device (LVAD), and the current understanding of factors contributing to these disparities.

Recent findings
The proportion of black and Latinx patients receiving advanced heart failure therapies continues to rise, and they have worse hemodynamic profiles at the time of referral for heart transplantation and LVAD. Black patients have lower rates of survival after heart transplantation, in part because of higher rates of cellular and humoral rejection that may be mediated through unique gene pathways, and increased risk for allosensitization and de-novo donor-specific antibodies. Factors that have previously been cited as reasons for worse outcomes in race--ethnic minorities, including psychosocial risk and lower SES, may not be as strongly correlated with outcomes after LVAD.

Summary
Black and Latinx patients are sicker at the time of referral for advanced heart failure therapies. Despite higher psychosocial risk factors among race--ethnic minorities, outcomes after LVAD appear to be similar to white patients. Black patients continue to have lower posttransplant survival, because of a complex interplay of immunologic susceptibility, clinical and socioeconomic factors. No single factor accounts for the disparities in clinical outcomes for race--ethnic minorities, and thus consideration of these components together is critical in management of these patients.
Beyond DNA Damage: Exploring the Immunomodulatory Effects of Cyclophosphamide in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Swan Dawn , Gurney Mark , Krawczyk Janusz , Ryan Aideen E. , O'Dwyer Michael 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe alkylating agent cyclophosphamide has been used in the treatment of multiple myeloma for over 60 years. At low doses, cyclophosphamide also has significant immunomodulatory activity, which can be used to modify the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in order to augment responses to existing therapies. Immune‐mediated therapies are becoming more widespread in modern approaches to myeloma treatment. In this review, we discuss the effects cyclophosphamide has on the immune system, and how it can be used synergistically with other treatment modalities including the immunomodulatory agents, monoclonal antibodies and cellular therapies.
Quantitative Evaluation of Facial Expression in a Patient With Minimally Conscious State After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Obayashi Yota , Uehara Shintaro , Kokuwa Ryu , Otaka Yohei 
Published: March 2021

Objective:
To investigate whether automatic facial expression analysis can quantify differences in the intensity of facial responses depending on the affective stimuli in a patient with minimally conscious state (MCS).

Methods:
We filmed the facial responses of a patient with MCS during the delivery of three 1-minute auditory stimuli: audio clips of comedy movies, a nurse hilariously talking, and recitation of a novel (comedy, nurse, and recitation conditions, respectively). These measures were repeated at least 13 times for each condition on different days for approximately 10 months. The intensity of being “happy” was estimated from the smiling face using a software called FaceReader. The intensity among 5 conditions including those at 2 resting conditions (pre- and poststimuli) was compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Dunn-Bonferroni test for multiple comparisons.

Results:
Significantly higher values were found in the intensity of being “happy” in the comedy and nurse conditions versus other conditions, with no significant differences between the recitation and pre- or poststimulus conditions. These findings indicate that the automated facial expression analysis can quantify differences in context-dependent facial responses in the patient recruited in this study.

Conclusions:
This case study demonstrates the feasibility of using automated facial expression analysis to quantitatively evaluate the differences in facial expressions and their corresponding emotions in a single patient with MCS.
Longitudinal Vestibular and Oculomotor Impairments Among Amateur Athletes 1 Year Following Sport-Related Concussion: A Prospective Follow-Up
Authors: Büttner Fionn , Howell David R. , Doherty Cailbhe , Blake Catherine , Ryan John , Delahunt Eamonn 
Published: March 2021

Objectives:
To investigate (i) the presence of vestibular and oculomotor impairments and (ii) the self-perceived effects of concussion-associated dizziness on health-related quality of life among amateur athletes 6 months and 1 year following sport-related concussion compared with nonconcussed, control athletes.

Design:
Prospective, matched-cohort study.

Setting:
Clinical assessment laboratory.

Participants:
Amateur athletes who were diagnosed with sport-related concussion within 1 week of injury, and sex-, age-, and activity-matched nonconcussed, control athletes.

Main Measures:
Participants were evaluated 6 months and 1 year following sport-related concussion and enrollment in the longitudinal study using the Vestibular and Oculo-Motor Screening and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory. We performed multivariate analyses of variance and chi-square analyses to compare concussion and control group scores at each study assessment.

Results:
Forty-seven participants with concussion and 47 control participants completed the study. The concussion group reported similar mean symptom provocation scores on the Vestibular and Oculo-Motor Screening and exhibited a similar near-point convergence distance compared with the control group at the 6-month and 1-year study assessments. The concussion and control groups had similar perceptions of the effects of dizziness on their health-related quality of life at both study assessments.

Conclusion:
Meaningful differences in vestibular and oculomotor symptom provocation and self-perceived effects of dizziness on everyday life were not observed between concussed and nonconcussed, control athletes 6 months and 1 year following sport-related concussion.