bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neurovascular alterations of muscularis propria in the human anterior vaginal wall in pelvic organ prolapse
Authors: Sferra R , Pompili S , D'Alfonso A , Sabetta G , Gaudio E , Carta G , Festuccia C , Colapietro A , Vetuschi Antonella 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn the pathophysiology and progression of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), it has been demonstrated that there is a reorganisation of the muscularis propria of the anterior vaginal wall due to a phenotypic smooth muscle cell to myofibroblast switch. An abnormal deposition of collagen type III seems to be influenced by the involvement of advanced glycation end‐products. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypothesis that this connective tissue remodelling could also be associated with neurovascular alterations of the muscularis in women with POP compared with control patients. We examined 30 women with POP and 10 control patients treated for uterine fibromatosis. Immunohistochemical analysis, using glial fibrillary acidic protein, S‐100 protein, receptor tyrosine kinase, neurofilament and α‐smooth muscle actin antibodies, was performed. S‐100, receptor tyrosine kinase and neurofilament were also evaluated using Western blot analysis. We observed a decrease in all neurovascular‐tested markers in nerve bundles, ganglia and interstitial cells of Cajal from POP samples as compared with controls. Even if the processes responsible for these morphological alterations are still not known, it is conceivable that collagen III deposition in the anterior vaginal wall affects not only the architecture of the muscle layer but could also modify the intramuscular neurovascularisation and account for an alteration of the neuromuscular plasticity of the layer.
Three‐Dimensional Lesion Phenotyping and Physiologic Characterization Inform Remyelination Ability in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Sivakolundu Dinesh K. , Hansen Madison R. , West Kathryn L. , Wang Yeqi , Stanley Thomas , Wilson Andrew , McCreary Morgan , Turner Monroe P. , Pinho Marco C. , Newton Braeden D. , Guo Xiaohu , Rypma Bart , Okuda Darin T. 
Published: May 2019

ABSTRACTBACKGROUND AND PURPOSEMultiple sclerosis (MS) clinical management is based upon lesion characterization from 2‐dimensional (2D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) views. Such views fail to convey the lesion‐phenotype (ie, shape and surface texture) complexity, underlying metabolic alterations, and remyelination potential. We utilized a 3‐dimensional (3D) lesion phenotyping approach coupled with imaging to study physiologic profiles within and around MS lesions and their impacts on lesion phenotypes.METHODSLesions were identified in 3T T2‐FLAIR images and segmented using geodesic active contouring. A calibrated fMRI sequence permitted measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF), blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent signal (BOLD), and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2). These metrics were measured within lesions and surrounding tissue in concentric layers exact to the 3D‐lesion shape. BOLD slope was calculated as BOLD changes from a lesion to its surrounding perimeters. White matter integrity was measured using diffusion kurtosis imaging. Associations between these metrics and 3D‐lesion phenotypes were studied.RESULTSOne hundred nine lesions from 23 MS patients were analyzed. We identified a noninvasive biomarker, BOLD slope, to metabolically characterize lesions. Positive BOLD slope lesions were metabolically active with higher CMRO2 and CBF compared to negative BOLD slope or inactive lesions. Metabolically active lesions with more intact white matter integrity had more symmetrical shapes and more complex surface textures compared to inactive lesions with less intact white matter integrity.CONCLUSIONThe association of lesion phenotypes with their metabolic signatures suggests the prospect for translation of such data to clinical management by providing information related to metabolic activity, lesion age, and risk for disease reactivation and self‐repair. Our findings also provide a platform for disease surveillance and outcome quantification involving myelin repair therapeutics.
How Shall We Read the History of Ethics?
Authors: Davis G. Scott 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis response suggests that in writing the history of ethics, it is important to take seriously what the principals wrote and believed, distinguishing it carefully from our own responses to their writings, or from subsequent uses to which their writings may have been put. For example, when reading Thomas Aquinas and Francisco de Vitoria on just war against non‐Christian peoples, forcible conversion and conquest are clearly condemned. Whatever the attitudes of their contemporaries, not to mention later thinkers up to the present, there is no foundation in Aquinas and Vitoria for holy war or “exceptionalism,” American or otherwise.
Solidarity and the New Inequality
Authors: Weithman Paul 
Published: May 2019

AbstractEconomists now have the data to generate a high‐resolution picture of the economic inequalities within the very top fractions of income and wealth and between the top‐most fractions and others that have emerged since the early 1980s. I shall refer to these inequalities collectively as “the new inequality.” I argue that the moral value of solidarity can be used to raise pointed moral questions about the new inequality. In most cases, however, I shall raise such questions without answering them. For I contend that solidarity functions more usefully as part of an articulate hermeneutic of suspicion—that is, as a central element in skepticism about economic inequalities and their justifications. Seeing that it functions in this way, we can see one contribution religious ethics makes to an inquiry into the new inequality.
A Response to G. Scott Davis
Authors: Endy Melvin 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis defense of my essay on Vitoria and Suárez argues that my use of the term “religious war” is based on religious authority at least as much as religious cause, and that Davis’s decision to discuss only Vitoria limits his ability to come to terms with my thesis. To Davis’s argument that for Vitoria war was justified against the Indians only as a necessity of simple justice and to protect the innocent, I argue that his disjunction between simple justice and religious cause is a false one that fails to come to term with the church’s primary reason for approaching Indians, with the Thomistic understanding of the relation between nature and grace and between reason and revelation, and with the distinction between what justice requires in relation to the church and Christians and what it requires for others. I explain finally that my claim is not that the Catholic political rulers readily responded to papal calls for war except when it was in their interest, but that papal war was central to the normative just‐war tradition of the church in canon law and among major theologians like Vitoria and Suárez.
Catholic Social Teaching, Economic Inequality, and American Society
Authors: Himes Kenneth R. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe essay begins with an explanation of the underlying theological vision that supports Catholic social teaching's commitment to the centrality of the common good and the role of solidarity as both a virtue and a norm. The vision of humanity as one family and the church as a sacrament of unity is the foundation for a communitarian ethic that prizes inclusion, participation, and relative equality in the quest for a truly just society. An array of social science studies is then employed to show that economic inequality “bleeds” into other realms of public life to undermine fundamental commitments of American society, namely, equal opportunity and political democracy. The essay concludes that an understanding of Catholic social teaching promotes a critical perspective that is deeply at odds with ongoing trends in the U.S. economy.
Effects of yeast culture supplementation and the ratio of non‐structural carbohydrate to fat on growth performance, carcass traits and the fatty acid profile of the longissimus dorsi muscle in lambs
Authors: Liu Yang‐Zhi , Lang Min , Zhen Yu‐Guo , Chen Xue , Sun Zhe , Zhao Wei , Zhang Xue‐Feng , Wang Tao , Qin Gui‐Xin 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe effects of yeast culture (YC) supplementation and the dietary ratio of non‐structural carbohydrate to fat (NSCFR) on growth performance, carcass traits and fatty acid profile of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle in lambs were determined in a 2 × 3 full factorial experiment. Thirty‐six Small‐tailed Han lambs were randomly divided into six groups with six replicates per group. The lambs were fed one of the six pelleted total mixed rations (TMRs) for 60 days after 15 adaption days. The six rations were formed by two NSCFRs (11.37 and 4.57) and three YC supplementation levels (0, 0.8 and 2.3 g/kg dietary dry matter). The average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) data of each lamb were recorded and calculated. All the lambs were slaughtered for determining carcass traits and fatty acid profile of the LD muscle. DMI was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in a quadratic fashion with 0.8 g/kg of YC supplementation. Carcass weight (CW) and dressing percentage (DP) were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in a linear fashion with 2.3 g/kg of YC supplementation. Animals fed with high‐NSCFR diet had higher (p < 0.05) contents of myristoleic acid (C14:1), pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) and cis‐10‐heptadecenoic acid (C17:1), and lower (p < 0.05) stearic acid (C18:0) content in LD muscle than those fed with low‐NSCFR diet. Moreover, ADG, growth rate (GR), backfat thickness (BFT), percentages of crude fat (CF) and crude protein (CP), SFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs in LD muscle, were significantly affected (p < 0.05) by interaction of dietary NSCFR and supplemental YC level. Overall, YC not only improved the growth performance and carcass traits of the animals but also modified the fatty acid profile of the LD muscle. Furthermore, the effects of YC supplementation may depend on dietary compositions.
Advances and future directions in betalain metabolic engineering
Authors: Polturak Guy , Aharoni Asaph 
Published: May 2019

SummaryBetalains are nitrogenous red and yellow pigments found in a single order of plants, the Caryophyllales, and in some higher fungi. They are responsible for the colors observed in many ornamental plants, as well as in various food products, where they are used as natural colorants. Their nutritional properties and attractive colors make them an appealing target for metabolic engineering. This is further heightened by the limited availability of natural betalain sources, arising from their relative scarcity in the plant kingdom, particularly in edible plants. Recent progress in decoding their biosynthetic pathway has facilitated stable heterologous production of betalains in several plant and microbial systems. Here, we provide a brief review of recent advances and discuss current approaches and possible future directions in betalain metabolic engineering, including expanding the chemical diversity of betalains and increasing their yield, exploring new host organisms for their heterologous production, and engineering their secretion from the cell.
Client experiences in a prenatal home visiting program: A prenatal care coordination program evaluation
Authors: Heitzman Melissa , Weitzel Jennifer , Kroll Stephanie , Zabler Bev 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjective(s)Prenatal home visiting programs are a strategy to promote positive birth outcomes. Ongoing evaluations of these programs are important to promote fidelity and quality. The goal of this program evaluation was to gain clients’ perspectives of their experiences in one Wisconsin Health Department's Prenatal Care Coordination program including: (a) why clients entered the program, (b) whether client expectations were met, and (c) how expectations impacted client retention.DesignA Health Department in Wisconsin undertook a three‐part program evaluation of their Prenatal Care Coordination program in 2014–2015. Highlighted here is the final phase of this evaluation. The evaluation was guided by the CDC's (1999) Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health.SampleClients meeting eligibility criteria were divided into representative clusters using k‐means clustering model. Twenty semi‐structured interviews with former clients of the Wisconsin Health Department's Prenatal Care Coordination program were conducted.ResultsMost clients had no expectations coming into the program and were satisfied with the services they received. Participants named the nurse–client relationship and support from this relationship as a key benefit of the program, while a secondary benefit was the information and resources received. The Health Department used these findings for program improvement and strategic planning.
Vagally mediated heart rate variability and safety learning: Effects of instructions and number of extinction trials
Authors: Wendt Julia , König Jörg , Hufenbach Miriam C. , Koenig Julian , Thayer Julian F. , Hamm Alfons O. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractExtinction of conditioned fear serves as a laboratory model for the mechanism of action underlying exposure treatment with patients suffering from anxiety disorders. Thus, an enhanced understanding of individual differences in extinction learning may help to improve exposure procedures by tailoring treatment plans to the specific needs of the patient. Vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is a promising candidate to investigate individual differences in extinction learning because vmHRV is influenced by an inhibitory prefrontal‐amygdala network that is similarly implied in extinction learning. Moreover, low levels of vmHRV were previously associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety disorders and a deficit in safety learning. Here, we report on two studies (Study 1: N = 48; Study 2: N = 120) in which we investigated the boundary conditions of the observed association between vmHRV and safety learning as indexed by startle potentiation during instructed or uninstructed extinction training. In Study 1 (conditional discrimination task), we found that low vmHRV levels are associated with higher CS+ potentiation during instructed extinction. In Study 2 (differential cue conditional task), we observed an association between individual vmHRV levels and defensive responding during CS− presentations and, in later instructed extinction trials, during intertrial intervals. These findings indicate an overactive defensive system in individuals with low levels of vmHRV that interferes with their ability to recognize safety and thus is associated with a general perception of unsafety.
Functional capacity and self‐care profiles of older people in senior care homes
Authors: Imaginário Cristina , Rocha Magda , Machado Paulo , Antunes Cristina , Martins Teresa 
Published: May 2019

The reduction of the functional capacity in older people is the result of physical, psychological and functional changes related to the ageing process, compromising the performance of daily life activities. Assessing their functional capacity and their self‐care profile can facilitate the planning of targeted strategies related to stimulation, as well as cognitive and motor rehabilitation. This study aims to evaluate and analyse the functional capacity, as well as the level of dependence in self‐care of older people in senior care centres. This is a transversal exploratory study, quantitative in nature. The sample was comprised of 313 participants, randomly selected from a set of senior care centres, with an average age of 83.41 (SD=7.14) years, recruited from the interior North of Portugal. The data collection instruments included the Barthel Index, the Lawton and Brody Scale, the Evaluation Form of Dependence in Self‐care, the Self‐care of Home Dwelling Elderly (self‐care subscale profiles) and a questionnaire on demographic data. The elderly showed several levels of dependence on different self‐care items. It was possible to observe that the staff often replaces the elderly in many of the tasks that could still be performed by them, and thus aggravates their levels of dependence. The link observed between functional capacity and self‐care profiles highlights the need to focus on the notion of a healthy and active ageing process, especially in some profiles. The monitoring of the functional capacity and the self‐care profile can provide knowledge concerning the potential for autonomy and individual needs, thus enabling targeted and more responsive interventions for the individual and the real needs of older people.
Perceptions of coach doping confrontation efficacy and athlete susceptibility to intentional and inadvertent doping
Authors: Boardley Ian D. , Smith Alan L. , Ntoumanis Nikos , Gucciardi Daniel F. , Harris Tyler S. 
Published: May 2019

ObjectivesWe tested a conceptually grounded model linking athlete perceptions of strength and conditioning and technical coach doping confrontation efficacy (DCE) with athletes’ doping self‐regulatory efficacy (SRE), doping moral disengagement (MD), and susceptibility to intentional and inadvertent doping.DesignCross‐sectional, correlational.MethodsParticipants were high‐level athletes (nmale = 532; nfemale = 290) recruited in Australia (n = 261), the UK (n = 300), and the USA (n = 261). All participants completed questionnaires assessing the variables alongside a variant of the randomized response technique to estimate the prevalence of doping.ResultsThe estimated prevalence of intentional doping in the sample was 13.9%. Structural equation modeling established: (a) perceptions of technical and strength and conditioning coaches’ DCE positively predicted doping SRE; (b) doping SRE negatively predicted doping MD; (c) doping MD positively predicted susceptibility to intentional and inadvertent doping; and (d) the predictive effects of coach perceptions on susceptibility to doping were mediated by doping SRE and doping MD. Multisample analyses demonstrated these predictive effects were invariant between males and females and across the three countries represented.ConclusionsThe findings show the conceptually grounded model to offer extended understanding of how multiple individuals within the athlete support personnel network may influence athlete doping.
Altered erythroid‐related miRNA levels as a possible novel biomarker for detection of autologous blood transfusion misuse in sport
Authors: Gasparello Jessica , Lamberti Nicola , Papi Chiara , Lampronti Ilaria , Cosenza Lucia Carmela , Fabbri Enrica , Bianchi Nicoletta , Zambon Christel , Dalla Corte Francesca , Govoni Maurizio , Reverberi Roberto , Manfredini Fabio , Gambari Roberto , Finotti Alessia 
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUNDAutologous blood transfusion (ABT) is a performance‐enhancing method prohibited in sport; its detection is a key issue in the field of anti‐doping. Among novel markers enabling ABT detection, microRNAs (miRNAs) might be considered a promising analytical tool.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWe studied the changes of erythroid‐related microRNAs following ABT, to identify novel biomarkers. Fifteen healthy trained males were studied from a population of 24 subjects, enrolled and randomized into a Transfusion (T) and a Control (C) group. Seriated blood samples were obtained in the T group before and after the two ABT procedures (withdrawal, with blood refrigerated or cryopreserved, and reinfusion), and in the C group at the same time points. Traditional hematological parameters were assessed. Samples were tested by microarray analysis of a pre‐identified set of erythroid‐related miRNAs.RESULTSHematological parameters showed moderate changes only in the T group, particularly following blood withdrawal. Among erythroid‐related miRNAs tested, following ABT a pool of 7 miRNAs associated with fetal hemoglobin and regulating transcriptional repressors of gamma‐globin gene was found stable in C and differently expressed in three out of six T subjects in the completed phase of ABT, independently from blood conservation. Particularly, two or more erythropoiesis‐related miRNAs within the shortlist constituted of miR‐126‐3p, miR‐144‐3p, miR‐191‐3p, miR‐197‐3p, miR‐486‐3p, miR‐486‐5p, and miR‐92a‐3p were significantly upregulated in T subjects after reinfusion, with a person‐to‐person variability but with congruent changes.CONCLUSIONSThis study describes a signature of potential interest for ABT detection in sports, based on the analysis of miRNAs associated with erythroid features.
Phosphorus retention and loss in three types of soils with implications for geographical pattern of eutrophication in China
Authors: Peng Liang , Xue Xianguang , Tang Quehui , Zhu Yi , Xiao Lijuan , Yang Yang , Lin Qiuqi 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPhosphorus (P) loss from soil to water bodies is an important process associated with eutrophication of lakes and reservoirs. Phosphorus concentration in China's waterbodies changes geographically, increasing substantially with latitude. It is assumed that the geographical pattern results from change in soil retention and loss features of P. To test this assumption, we designed a soil column leaching experiment to measure the P retention capacity of three common types of soils in China: red, black and loess. Results showed that red soil possessed a much higher P retention capacity than black and loess soils. Red soil retained P primarily through binding by aluminium and iron, with half of the total retained P contributed by iron binding. Phosphorus loss in all three soils was influenced by pH of the used acid solution and the leaching rate. Specifically, acidification tends to promote soil P loss, whereas leaching rate decreases P loss.
Attributes of a Successful Clinical Ladder Program for Nurses: An Integrative Review
Authors: Moore Abigail , Meucci Joanne , McGrath Jacqueline 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundClinical ladder programs (CLPs) are often utilized by healthcare organizations to monitor and incentivize staff nurse development. Few studies exist related to this topic, yet implementation of CLPs can be an important factor in staff nurse retention and satisfaction, and therefore requires better understanding.AimTo identify and examine the factors that contribute to a successful CLP.MethodsA systematic search of the literature was conducted in PubMed and CINAHL. Studies were not limited by year and were included if the focus was CLP attributes. PRISMA and PICOT were used to guide the process. A matrix of the existing studies was used, and interrater reliability was established at 90% with consensus building for inclusion of studies by the research team.ResultsTwenty‐nine studies were identified for inclusion. Most were program evaluation. Institution's organizational culture was identified as the overarching attribute contributing to a successful CLP. Common themes identified as important to a supportive organizational culture were (a) education and experience; (b) competence and critical thinking; (c) job satisfaction and retention; and (d) compensation and institutional cost. Each of these components can play a significant role in the overall success of a CLP.Linking Evidence to ActionWhile further research of a higher caliber is needed, some recommendations for practice can be made: (a) CLP description and terminology needs to be consistent with intent, (b) mandatory CLP engagement has positive implications, and (c) implementation needs to be driven by bedside nurses and includes both continuous education and refinement of program requirements and incentives.