bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Do different means of recording sexual orientation affect its relationship with health and wellbeing?
Authors: Urwin Sean , Mason Thomas , Whittaker William 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAnalyses of an individual's sexual orientation over time are desirable for policy evaluations and in estimating causal effects. We explore whether accounting for those who change sexual orientation over two time points, to create a measure of fluidity, produces substantially different results compared to sexual orientation measured at one time point and extrapolated to subsequent survey waves. We use seven waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Study which asked sexual orientation identity questions at two time points: waves three (2011–2013) and nine (2017–2019). Using the relationship with sexual orientation and various health outcomes as an empirical example, via a correlated random effects estimation approach, we find that the infrequent reporting of sexual orientation could over‐estimate the negative impact for lesbian, gay and “other” individuals and under‐estimate the negative impact for bisexuals. We further test the feasibility of the fluidity measure by examining attrition by sexual orientation identity and find small but statistically significant probabilities of attrition. Correction for attrition bias through inverse probability weighting makes little difference to the results. These results highlight the importance of accounting for changes in sexual orientation in empirical analysis and that doing so is feasible.
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Authors: Willenbacher Ella , Brunner Andrea , Zelger Bettina , Unterberger Seraphin H. , Stalder Roland , Huck Christian W. , Willenbacher Wolfgang , Pallua Johannes D. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMid‐infrared (MIR) microscopic imaging is a powerful tool for the characterization of tissue sections, allowing the investigation of the spatial distribution of different molecules. In the present study, MIR microscopic imaging and data analysis methods were combined to distinguish between normal lymph node and human lymphomas compared to standard histology. Results showed that MIR imaging can be successfully used to differentiate between normal lymph node and small and large cell human lymphomas.Further details can be found in the article by Ella Willenbacher, Andrea Brunner, Bettina Zelger, Seraphin H. Unterberger, Roland Stalder, Christian W. Huck, Wolfgang Willenbacher, Johannes D. Pallua (e202100079).
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Omarigliptin protects against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by ameliorating oxidative stress and inflammation
Authors: Li Zeyu , Wang Hong , Wu Kanglin , Zhang Lianfeng 
Published: September 2021

AbstractNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent liver disease with high morbidity. Omarigliptin is a novel antidiabetic drug that inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 and alleviates inflammation and insulin resistance. In the present study, the anti‐inflammatory and antioxidative stress property of omarigliptin will be investigated to explore the potential therapeutic effects of omarigliptin on NAFLD in mice models. A high‐fat diet (HFD) was used to induce a NAFLD model in mice. Hematoxylin–eosin staining and detection on the concentrations of total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were used to evaluate lipid accumulation of the liver tissues. Liver function was evaluated by measuring aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase. The insulin resistance index, the concentration of glucose, and insulin in the serum were determined. The levels of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase activities were detected to access the oxidative stress state. The concentrations of interleukin (IL)‐1α, IL‐6, and CXCL1 were measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot analysis was used to determine the expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) p65 and SIRT1 in the liver tissues. Significant elevated body weight and liver weight, marked macrovesicular steatosis combined with hepatocellular ballooning on the liver tissues, accumulated TC and TG concentrations, damaged liver function, increased oxidative stress, and elevated production of inflammatory factors were all induced with an HFD and significantly reversed by treatment with omarigliptin. Also, the activated NF‐κB signaling pathway, as well as suppressed SIRT1 expression level, were significantly reversed by omarigliptin. Omarigliptin protected against NAFLD by ameliorating oxidative stress and inflammation.
Decreased attractivity in female garter snakes treated with an aromatase inhibitor
Authors: Rucker Holly R. , Parker M. Rockwell 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMost experimental studies on sexual signal regulation via hormone manipulation have focused on male signals, yet female signals demonstrate substantial phenotypic variation and hormone‐dependent expression. Female red‐sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) produce a skin‐based sex pheromone used by males in mate selection. The principle female sex steroid, 17 β‐estradiol, controls pheromone production in snakes, but studies manipulating female garter snakes have produced conflicting results, relied on behavioral tests with males in the laboratory, and did not quantify pheromone expression. Because aromatase is the terminal enzyme in estradiol biosynthesis, we hypothesized that female garter snakes rely on aromatase to ultimately control pheromone production during the annual cycle of this species. To test this, we used a known pharmacological inhibitor of aromatase, fadrozole (FAD). Wild‐caught female garter snakes were chronically treated via subcutaneous injections of either FAD (1.0 mg kg−1) or saline (control) for six months in the laboratory during the active period of the annual cycle then hibernated. In two separate field bioassays the next spring at the den site, FAD females received approximately 50% less courtship from wild, sexually active male garter snakes compared to SHAM females. Pheromone analysis revealed that four of the largest, unsaturated methyl ketones were specifically downregulated in FAD females, indicating that aromatase action is a crucial, permissive step in the maintenance of female attractivity.
Flunarizine suppressesMycobacterium tuberculosisgrowth via calmodulin-dependent phagosome maturation
Authors: Mo Siwei , Liu Xiaoqian , Zhang Kehong , Wang Wenfei , Cai Yi , Ouyang Qi , Zhu Chuanzhi , Lin Dachuan , Wan Haoqiang , Li Dechang , Wen Zhihua , Chen Xinchun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractTuberculosis (TB), an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is a major cause of death worldwide. Multidrug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis and thus novel effective treatments, such as host-directed therapies (HDTs), are urgently required to overcome the challenges of TB infection. In this study, we evaluated 4 calcium modulators for their effects on Mtb growth in macrophages. Only flunarizine enhanced the bactericidal ability of macrophages against Mtb, which was induced by an increase in phosphorylated calcium/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (pCaMKII) levels. We further discovered that the expression of CaM was decreased in Mtb-infected macrophages and restored following flunarizine treatment; this was associated with phagolysosome maturation and acidification. Consistent with these findings, the anti-TB ability of macrophages was reduced following the silencing of CaM or inhibition of CAMKII activity. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that flunarizine enhanced the bactericidal ability of macrophages and clarified its CaM–pCAMKII-dependent mechanism. Therefore, our findings strongly support further studies of this currently approved drug as an HDT candidate for TB therapy.
BCG-trained innate immunity leads to fetal growth restriction by altering immune cell profile in the mouse developing placenta
Authors: Dang Yipu , Souchet Camille , Moresi Fabiana , Jeljeli Mohamed , Raquillet Bruno , Nicco Carole , Chouzenoux Sandrine , Lagoutte Isabelle , Marcellin Louis , Batteux Frederic , Doridot Ludivine 
Published: September 2021

AbstractTrained immunity is a new concept illustrating that innate immune cells are able to undergo a long-term metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming after infection or vaccination, thus displaying either a pro- or an anti-inflammatory phenotype during a sequential unrelated challenge. Innate immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages constitute a large part of the decidual leukocyte population at the maternal–fetal interface, playing an important role in placental development and as such in fetal growth and development. In this study, we hypothesized that training the innate immune cells before pregnancy could have an impact on pregnancy. To test this hypothesis, we used CBA/J x DBA/2 mouse model to investigate pregnancy outcomes and leukocyte population at the maternal–fetal interface. Although we were not able to show a beneficial effect of LPS-tolerogenic training on fetal resorption, Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) training, known to prime innate immune cells to be proinflammatory, led to fetal growth restriction, without aggravating the fetal resorption rate. We also found that BCG training led to less NK cells and macrophages at the maternal–fetal interface at the early stage of placentation (E9.5), associated with a down-regulation of Ccr3 and Lif mRNA expression. This induced altered leucocyte population profile can be an explanation for the subsequent fetal growth restriction. These data suggest that preconceptional infections-induced trained immunity could influence pregnancy outcomes.
Combined association of cognitive impairment and poor oral health on mortality risk in older adults: Results from the NHANES with 15 years of follow‐up
Authors: Li An , Chen Yuntao , Visser Anita , Marks Luc A.M. , Tjakkes Geerten‐Has E. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundCognitive impairment and poor oral health are frequently seen among older adults. Both conditions have been identified as risk factors for mortality. However, the combined associations of cognitive impairment and poor oral health with mortality have not been well studied and are therefore the aim of this cohort study.MethodsWe analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2002) linked with mortality data obtained from the 2015 public‐use linked mortality file. Cognitive impairment was defined as a digit symbol substitution test score lower than the lowest quartile. Oral health status was assessed based on presence of untreated caries, moderate to severe periodontitis, and edentulism. The combined effects of caries/periodontitis or edentulism and cognitive impairment on all‐cause and cardiometabolic mortality were examined using the Cox proportional hazard models after adjusting for potential confounders including demographic characteristics, lifestyle, biomarkers, and comorbidities.ResultsIn total, 1973 participants were enrolled in the prospective study. At a median follow‐up of 13.4 years, 978 participants had died (264 deaths because of cardiometabolic disease). Cognitive impairment, periodontitis, and edentulism were each found to be significant predictors of all‐cause mortality. Caries, however, was not significantly related to mortality. When analyzing these predictors in combination, a diagnosis of cognitive impairment and periodontitis was associated with an 83.1% increase in all‐cause mortality risk and an 87.7% increase in cardiometabolic mortality risk compared with healthy controls. Similarly, the risk for all‐cause mortality was highest in cases where impaired cognition and edentulism co‐occurred (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.701, 1.338–2.161).ConclusionConcomitant presence of cognitive impairment and periodontitis or edentulism can be associated with a higher risk of mortality among older U.S. adults.
HOW PRIVATE, PUBLIC, AND NONPROFIT LEADERS CAN AMPLIFY THEIR IMPACT BY ADOPTING CROSS‐SECTOR TOOLS
Authors: Palandjian Tracy 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe author writes from her perspective as CEO and co‐founder of Social Finance, an impact investing and advisory nonprofit. In discussing partnerships created there, she writes that “the more we collaborated with investors, service providers, governments, and others, the more I saw that everyone brought something unique and vital to the work—points of view and practices that not only oriented us toward a single goal but also better equipped each of us to achieve it.” She explains what private sector, public sector, and nonprofit leaders can do to help achieve this synergy. Within the private sector, she suggests that leaders “can adopt a few of the qualities that have helped their peers in government and the nonprofit sector achieve success: community, empathy, and service‐mindedness.” In the public sector, she believes that “despite vast funding pools and massive distribution networks, local, state, and federal administrations have long struggled to efficiently and purposefully put taxpayer dollars into programs that generate positive social outcomes.” And “this vision is well within reach for nonprofit leaders who are prepared to leverage some of the tools private sector companies have long used to build robust and enduring business models, and cultivate new revenue sources.”
Common tumor‐suppressive signaling of thyroid hormone receptor beta in breast and thyroid cancer cells
Authors: Bolf Eric L. , Gillis Noelle E. , Davidson Cole D. , Cozzens Lauren M. , Kogut Sophie , Tomczak Jennifer A. , Frietze Seth , Carr Frances E. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRβ) is a tumor suppressor in multiple types of solid tumors, most prominently in breast and thyroid cancer. An increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which TRβ abrogates tumorigenesis will aid in understanding the core tumor‐suppressive functions of TRβ. Here, we restored TRβ expression in the MDA‐MB‐468 basal‐like breast cancer cell line and perform RNA‐sequencing to determine the TRβ‐mediated changes in gene expression and associated signaling pathways. The TRβ expressing MDA‐MB‐468 cells exhibit a more epithelial character as determined by principle component analysis‐based iterative PAM50 subtyping score and through reduced expression of mesenchymal cytokeratins. The epithelial to mesenchymal transition pathway is also significantly reduced. The MDA‐MB‐468 data set was further compared with RNA sequencing results from TRβ expressing thyroid cancer cell line SW1736 to determine which genes are TRβ correspondingly regulated across both cell types. Several pathways including lipid metabolism and chromatin remodeling processes were observed to be altered in the shared gene set. These data provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms by which TRβ suppresses breast tumorigenesis.
Microvascular Breakdown Due to Retinal Neurodegeneration in Ataxias
Authors: Turski Christopher A. , Turski Gabrielle N. , Faber Jennifer , Teipel Stefan J. , Holz Frank G. , Klockgether Thomas , Finger Robert P. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundNeurodegenerative ataxias are devastating disorders of the cerebellum and spinal cord, accompanied by death of retinal ganglion cells, leading to relentlessly progressive decline of motor coordination and permanent disability. Retinal microvascular affection has not yet been determined.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to assess whether retinal microvascular alterations occur and, if so, whether they are concurrent with or follow cell death in the retina in neurodegenerative diseases.MethodsThis study involves the cross‐sectional observational study of 43 patients with ataxia and 43 controls enrolled from August 1, 2018, to September 30, 2020. The extent of ataxia was determined by the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. Changes in retinal vasculature were examined by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT‐A) and retinal cell and fiber density by OCT in ataxias concurrently.ResultsWhen comparing the ataxia cohort with healthy subjects, ataxia patients exhibited reduced vessel density in the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) network (P = 0.005), capillary density inside the optic nerve head (cdONH) (P < 0.001), nasal superficial vascular plexus (P = 0.03) as well as reduced ganglion cell layer (GCL) volume (P = 0.04), and temporal peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (P = 0.04). Mixed effect analysis modeling laterality confirmed these findings.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate a distinct pattern of concurrent changes in vessel density of the retinal superficial vascular complex, encompassing the superficial vascular plexus, RPC network and cdONH, and retinal GCL volume, providing new insights into the ongoing degeneration in ataxias. Our findings may have relevance for design of novel therapeutic approaches for ataxias and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases.
Copper‐Binding Peptides Attenuate Microglia Inflammation through Suppression of NF‐kB Pathway
Authors: Caetano‐Silva Maria Elisa , Rund Laurie A. , Vailati‐Riboni Mario , Pacheco Maria Teresa Bertoldo , Johnson Rodney W. 
Published: September 2021

ScopeActivation of microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, has been related to the etiology and progression of neurodegenerative diseases; thus, finding novel approaches to suppress the neuroinflammatory process is of utmost relevance.Methods and ResultsThe anti‐inflammatory activity of whey Cu‐, Fe‐, and Zn‐binding peptides and their possible underlying mechanism of action were evaluated in microglia. Whey metal‐binding peptides decreased nitric oxide production and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) at mRNA and protein levels by stimulated BV‐2 microglia in comparison to the control with no peptide treatment. The hydrophobicity, specific sequences, and possible synergistic effects seem to play a role. Cu‐binding peptides (Cu‐bp) presented anti‐inflammatory activity both in BV‐2 and primary microglia cultures. These peptides exert their action by suppressing nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐kB) pathway since nuclear translocation of NF‐kB p65 is decreased by roughly 30% upon Cu‐bp treatment. Specific sequences identified in Cu‐bp showed high affinity to bind NF‐kB p65 by molecular docking (up to –8.8 kcal mol−1), corroborating the immunofluorescence studies.ConclusionCu‐bp represent food‐derived peptides that may be useful for neuroprotective purposes. Chelation of copper excess in the CNS and the bioavailability of such peptides, as well as their behavior in in vivo models, deserve further research for future applications.
Biology of primordial germ cells in vertebrates with emphasis in urodeles amphibians
Authors: Porras‐Gómez Tania J. , Villagrán‐SantaCruz Maricela , Moreno‐Mendoza Norma 
Published: September 2021

AbstractPrimordial germ cells (PGCs) are highly specialized cells that play a relevant role in the maintenance and evolution of the species, since they create new combinations of genetic information between the organisms. Amphibians are a class of amniote vertebrates that are divided into three subclasses, the anurans (frogs and toads), the urodeles (salamanders and newts), and the gymnophiones (caecilians). The study of PGCs in amphibians has been addressed in more detail in anurans while little is known about the biology of this cell lineage in urodeles. Studies in some urodeles species have suggested that PGCs are of mesodermal origin, specifying in the lateral plate mesoderm at the late gastrula stage. With classical experiments it shown that, there is an induction of mesoderm, therefore most likely urodeles PGCs develop from unspecialized mesodermal tissue that responds to extracellular signals. However, some fundamental biological processes of PGCs such as the analysis of their specification, arrival, and colonization to the gonads, and their maintenance and differentiation into mature and fertile gametes remain to be elucidated. Therefore, knowledge about the biology of PGCs is of great importance to ensure the perpetuation of urodeles amphibians, as some species are in danger of becoming extinct.
Hospital nurses' experiences of and perspectives on the impact COVID‐19 had on their professional and everyday life—A qualitative interview study
Authors: Thrysoee Lars , Dyrehave Charlotte , Christensen Helle Marie , Jensen Nanette B. , Nielsen Dorthe S. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAimTo explore how hospital nurses experienced their work situation during the COVID‐19 pandemic and how this affected the conduct of their professional and their everyday life.MethodsInterviews using critical psychology. A total of 24 nurses participated, representing departments of both medicine and surgical specialties. All nurses worked either in the department where they are usually stationed or were recruited from other departments to the COVID‐19 department.ResultsFive themes were identified: (1) COVID‐19 had importance to nurses' sense of self as a nurse; (2) a new solidarity developed; (3) professional reflections—caring for patients; (4) the importance of recognition and humiliation and (5) COVID‐19 had consequences for the nurses' conduct of everyday life.ConclusionThe findings showed that some nurses caring for patients with COVID‐19 experienced a new solidarity with their colleagues. Other nurses found it to have a negative impact on their conduct of their professional life.
“We have to be the link between everyone”: A discursive psychology approach to defining registered nurses’ professional identity
Authors: Lindahl Norberg Annika , Strand Jennifer 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe occupational health and safety of registered nurses is unsatisfactory, often including high work demands in combination with insufficient acknowledgement. Implicit expectations influence their working conditions, many of which are set by the nurses themselves. Therefore, we aimed to explore how professional identity was discursively constructed by Swedish registered nurses in research interviews about night shift work.Design and MethodsTen semi‐structured interviews with registered nurses were analysed using a discursive psychology approach. The Standards for reporting qualitative research guided the reporting.ResultsThe professional identity of registered nurses included a theoretical professional aspect as well as a unique experience‐based competence. With their overview and breadth of competence, registered nurses constitute the hub of healthcare activities, also mastering tasks in the fields of other health professions. This opacity of professional boundaries is associated with boundless expectations of the registered nurse. Additionally, the professional identity stipulates always putting the patient's best interests first, and one's own needs second.