bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Édouard Glissant and the importance of reading well: Opacitic‐reading as geographic method
Authors: Jeyasingh Tara Elisabeth 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWith what intentions and expectations does one arrive at reading a new philosophical text? In the case of the late Martinican thinker Édouard Glissant, engaging with his work usually begins from the premise that his thought is adapted from, or indebted to, that of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. In this paper I seek to intervene in these non‐representational aspects of our thinking that escape habituated perception and condition, yet colour our reading and thus our resulting research and writing. If — as Paul Gilroy writes, ‘Glissant's time is now’, how do we as geographers respond? I argue that rather than reject the association of Glissant's work with Deleuze and Guattari's, the more philosophically, poetic, and politically challenging and creative task comes from reconceptualising their relationship to one of connection. In order to do this, I begin with Glissant's concept of ‘opacity’, which supports difference against assimilation and which Katherine McKittrick understands as a political tool. Taking this tool in hand, I develop my conceptualisation of the opacitic to refer to the staging or taking‐place of this opacity on a subterranean and micro‐political level. Opacitic‐reading as method contends how our reading of philosophical texts can create anew moments of clarity and connection through complexity, rather than aspiring towards transparent understanding that seeks to ‘grasp’ ideas and hold onto them. For geographers, opacitic‐reading intervenes in important debates about reading Glissant specifically, engaging with the work of so‐called minority thinkers from Western perspectives, as well as contributing to broader debates about how geographers engage with philosophy and theory.
Drawing and storing blood using a 3D printed bottle cap and a disinfected 500 mL drinking bottle: A proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Rognhaug Martin , Eliassen Håkon Skogrand 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundToday, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, the demand for blood is high. Despite this, few companies produce the necessary equipment to draw, store, and transfuse whole blood. This study evaluated the safety and performance of a 3D printed bottle cap in conjunction with a water bottle and some available consumables to draw and store fresh whole blood.Study Design and MethodsBags of saline, and freshly donated whole blood, was transferred to the water bottle through a 3D printed bottle cap and stored for 72 h. An identical setup, transferring saline to a Terumo blood collection bag was used as control. Performance and safety were evaluated by calculating infusion rate and observing for backflow, respectively. The blood was also tested for hemolysis and bacterial growth at four sampling points.ResultsThe cap‐and‐bottle setup was faster than control in terms of flow rate when transferring saline (1.53 vs. 1.81 mL/s, p < .001), and non‐inferior to saline control when transfusing blood (1.53 vs. 1.49 mL/s, p = .641). We did not observe any risks of causing the donor iatrogenic harm, and there was no evidence of increased hemolysis. However, there were traces of bacterial contamination in three of six bottles.ConclusionThis study indicates that drawing blood is both feasible and safe, utilizing a 3D printed cap and bottle setup. Flow rate was faster than control, and mechanical properties of the blood were not affected. We were unable to determine the source of bacterial contamination in the blood.
Can nematode infection cause internal bleeding in dogs? A case of Dirofilaria immitis infection in cavitary fluids
Authors: Alonso Flavio H. , Shapiro Karen , Camp Lauren E. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractA 9‐year‐old dog was presented with weight loss, respiratory effort, and an enlarged abdomen. Imaging studies and exploratory surgery showed pulmonary and splenic masses and bi‐cavitary effusion, later classified as hemorrhage. Cytology of the peritoneal and pleural fluids also revealed several microfilariae. Immunologic and molecular analyses confirmed Dirofilaria immitis infection and histopathology of the spleen indicated a cavernous endothelial proliferation with undefined etiology (hemangiosarcoma vs reaction to parasite infestation). The nematode larvae are speculated to have entered body cavities via erratic migration or via hemorrhage and visceral lesions to be related to parasitism. Nematode infection should be considered as a differential diagnosis for internal bleeding of undetermined origin.
Evaluation of mediastinoscopy for cranial mediastinal and tracheobronchial lymphadenectomy in canine cadavers
Authors: Gibson Erin A. , Brust Kelsey , Steffey Michele A. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo report technical feasibility and describe procedural details of a novel single incision minimally invasive approach to the mediastinum in cadaver dogs.Study designCadaveric study.AnimalsLarge breed (25–40 kg) cadaver dogs (n = 10).MethodsThree of 10 cadavers were used for preliminary technique development without data recording. Cadaver specimens underwent pre‐ and postoperative thoracic computed tomographic scans. Seven dogs were placed in dorsal recumbency and mediastinoscopy was performed via a SILS port placed cranial to the thoracic inlet with CO2 insufflation of the mediastinum at 2–4 mmHg. Retrieval of all CT and visually identified mediastinal lymph nodes (LN) was attempted; endoscopic compartmental and individual LN dissection times and subjective operative challenges were recorded. Procedural success scores for visualization and dissection as well as NASA‐task force index scores were recorded per lymph node, per cadaver.ResultsMedian time required for initial approach including SILS placement was 5 min (range 5–10 min). Individual LN retrieval times ranged from 2 to 32 min. Mediastinoscopic retrieval of LNs was most commonly successful for the left tracheobronchial LN (7/7), followed by the right tracheobronchial LN (4/7), the left and right sternal LNs (3/7 each), and the cranial mediastinal LNs (1/7). Post‐procedure pleural gas was identified on CT in 4/7 cadavers.ConclusionsMediastinoscopy as reported was feasible in large breed canine cadavers and retrieval or cup biopsy of a variety of lymph nodes is possible from the described approach. Application in living animals and its associated challenges should be further investigated.Clinical significanceMediastinoscopy may provide a novel minimally invasive approach to the evaluation and oncologic staging of the cranial mediastinum in dogs.
Combined action observation and mental imagery versus neuromuscular electrical stimulation as novel therapeutics during short‐term knee immobilization
Authors: Harmon Kylie K. , Girts Ryan M. , Rodriguez Gabriela , Beausejour Jonathan P. , Pagan Jason I. , Carr Joshua C. , Garcia Jeanette , Roberts Michael D. , Hahs‐Vaughn Debbie L. , Stout Jeffrey R. , Fukuda David H. , Stock Matt S. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractLimb immobilization causes rapid declines in muscle strength and mass. Given the role of the nervous system in immobilization‐induced weakness, targeted interventions may be able to preserve muscle strength, but not mass, and vice versa. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of two distinct interventions during 1 week of knee joint immobilization on muscle strength (isometric and concentric isokinetic peak torque), mass (bioimpedance spectroscopy and ultrasonography), and neuromuscular function (transcranial magnetic stimulation and interpolated twitch technique). Thirty‐nine healthy, college‐aged adults (21 males, 18 females) were randomized into one of four groups: immobilization only (n = 9), immobilization + action observation/mental imagery (AOMI) (n = 10), immobilization + neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) (n = 12), or control group (n = 8). The AOMI group performed daily video observation and mental imagery of knee extensions. The NMES group performed twice daily stimulation of the quadriceps femoris. Based on observed effect sizes, it appears that AOMI shows promise as a means of preserving voluntary strength, which may be modulated by neural adaptations. Strength increased from PRE to POST in the AOMI group, with +7.2% (Cohen's d = 1.018) increase in concentric isokinetic peak torque at 30°/s. However, NMES did not preserve muscle mass. Though preliminary, our findings highlight the specific nature of clinical interventions and suggest that muscle strength can be independently targeted during rehabilitation. This study was prospectively registered: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05072652.
Specificity of early motor unit adaptations with resistive exercise training
Authors: Del Vecchio Alessandro , Enoka Roger Maro , Farina Dario 
Published: April 2024

AbstractAfter exposure of the human body to resistive exercise, the force‐generation capacity of the trained muscles increases significantly. Despite decades of research, the neural and muscular stimuli that initiate these changes in muscle force are not yet fully understood. The study of these adaptations is further complicated by the fact that the changes may be partly specific to the training task. For example, short‐term strength training does not always influence the neural drive to muscles during the early phase (<100 ms) of force development in rapid isometric contractions. Here we discuss some of the studies that have investigated neuromuscular adaptations underlying changes in maximal force and rate of force development produced by different strength training interventions, with a focus on changes observed at the level of spinal motor neurons. We discuss the different motor unit adjustments needed to increase force or speed, and the specificity of some of the adaptations elicited by differences in the training tasks.
image
Lactate and hydrogen ions play a predominant role in evoking the exercise pressor reflex during ischaemic contractions but not during freely perfused contractions
Authors: Ducrocq Guillaume P. , Anselmi Laura , Ruiz‐Velasco Victor , Kaufman Marc P. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe investigated the role played by lactate and hydrogen in evoking the exercise pressor reflex (EPR) in decerebrated rats whose hindlimb muscles were either freely perfused or ischaemic. Production of lactate and hydrogen by the contracting hindlimb muscles was manipulated by knocking out the myophosphorylase gene (pygm). In knockout rats (pygm−/−; n = 13) or wild‐type rats (pygm+/+; n = 13), the EPR was evoked by isometrically contracting the triceps surae muscles. Blood pressure, tension, blood flow, renal sympathetic nerve activity and blood lactate concentrations were measured. Intramuscular metabolites and pH changes induced by the contractions were quantified by 31P‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (n = 5). In a subset of pygm−/− rats (n = 5), contractions were evoked with prior infusion of lactate (pH 6.0) in an attempt to restore the effect of lactate and hydrogen ions. Contraction of freely perfused muscles increased blood lactate and decreased muscle pH in pygm+/+ rats only. Despite these differences, the reflex pressor and sympathetic responses to freely perfused contraction did not differ between groups (P = 0.992). During ischaemia, contraction increased muscle lactate and hydrogen ion production in pygm+/+ rats (P < 0.0134), whereas it had no effect in pygm−/− rats (P > 0.783). Likewise, ischaemia exaggerated the reflex pressor, and sympathetic responses to contraction in pygm+/+ but not in pygm−/− rats. This exaggeration was restored when a solution of lactate (pH 6.0) was infused prior to the contraction in pygm−/− rats. We conclude that lactate and hydrogen accumulation in contracting myocytes play a key role in evoking the metabolic component of the EPR during ischaemic but not during freely perfused contractions.
imageKey points
Conflicting results exist about the role played by lactate and hydrogen ions in evoking the exercise pressor reflex.
Using CRISP‐Cas9, we rendered the myophosphorylase gene non‐functional to block the production of lactate and hydrogen ions. The exercise pressor reflex was evoked in decerebrated rats by statically contracting the triceps surae muscles with or without muscle ischaemia.
Static contraction elevated the concentration of lactate and hydrogen ions in pygm+/+ but not in pygm−/− rats. Despite these differences, the exercise pressor reflex was not different between groups.
Acute muscle ischaemia exaggerated the concentration of lactate and hydrogen ions in pygm+/+ but not in pygm−/− rats. Likewise, acute muscle ischaemia exaggerated the exercise pressor reflex in pygm+/+ but not in pygm−/− rats.
We conclude that lactate and hydrogen play a key role in evoking the exercise pressor reflex during ischaemic but not during freely perfused contractions.
Doxycycline, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin are superior to ciprofloxacin in treating anthrax meningitis in rabbits and NHP
Authors: Ben-Shmuel Amir , Glinert Itai , Sittner Assa , Bar-David Elad , Schlomovitz Josef , Levy Haim , Weiss Shay 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Efficient treatment of anthrax-related meningitis in patients poses a significant therapeutic challenge. Previously, we demonstrated in our anthrax meningitis rabbit model that ciprofloxacin treatment is ineffective with most of the treated animals succumbing to the infection. Herein we tested the efficacy of doxycycline in our rabbit model and found it highly effective. Since all of our findings are based on a rabbit model, we test the efficacy of ciprofloxacin or doxycycline in a specific central nervous system (CNS) model developed in non-human primates (NHPs). Similar to rabbits, ciprofloxacin treatment was ineffective, while doxycycline protected the infected rhesus macaques (
n
= 2) from the lethal CNS
Bacillus anthracis
infection. To test whether the low efficacy of Ciprofloxacin is an example of low efficacy of all fluoroquinolones or only this substance, we treated rabbits that were inoculated intracisterna magna (ICM) with levofloxacin or moxifloxacin. We found that in contrast to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin were highly efficacious in treating lethal anthrax-related meningitis in rabbits and NHP (levofloxacin). We demonstrated (in naïve rabbits) that this difference probably results from variances in blood–brain-barrier penetration of the different fluoroquinolones. The combined treatment of doxycycline and any one of the tested fluoroquinolones was highly effective in the rabbit CNS infection model. The combined treatment of doxycycline and levofloxacin was effective in an inhalation rabbit model, as good as the doxycycline mono-therapy. These findings imply that while ciprofloxacin is highly effective as a post-exposure prophylactic drug, using this drug to treat symptomatic patients should be reconsidered.
The interplay between electron transport chain function and iron regulatory factors influences melanin formation in
Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Xue Peng , Sánchez-León Eddy , Hu Guanggan , Lee Christopher W. J. , Black Braydon , Brisland Anna , Li Haohua , Jung Won Hee , Kronstad James W. 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Mitochondrial functions are critical for the ability of the fungal pathogen
Cryptococcus neoformans
to cause disease. However, mechanistic connections between key functions such as the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) and virulence factor elaboration have yet to be thoroughly characterized. Here, we observed that inhibition of ETC complex III suppressed melanin formation, a major virulence factor. This inhibition was partially overcome by defects in Cir1 or HapX, two transcription factors that regulate iron acquisition and use. In this regard, loss of Cir1 derepresses the expression of laccase genes as a potential mechanism to restore melanin, while HapX may condition melanin formation by controlling oxidative stress. We hypothesize that ETC dysfunction alters redox homeostasis to influence melanin formation. Consistent with this idea, inhibition of growth by hydrogen peroxide was exacerbated in the presence of the melanin substrate L-DOPA. In addition, loss of the mitochondrial chaperone Mrj1, which influences the activity of ETC complex III and reduces ROS accumulation, also partially overcame antimycin A inhibition of melanin. The phenotypic impact of mitochondrial dysfunction was consistent with RNA-Seq analyses of WT cells treated with antimycin A or L-DOPA, or cells lacking Cir1 that revealed influences on transcripts encoding mitochondrial functions (e.g., ETC components and proteins for Fe-S cluster assembly). Overall, these findings reveal mitochondria-nuclear communication
via
ROS and iron regulators to control virulence factor production in
C. neoformans
.

IMPORTANCE

There is a growing appreciation of the importance of mitochondrial functions and iron homeostasis in the ability of fungal pathogens to sense the vertebrate host environment and cause disease. Many mitochondrial functions such as heme and iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis, and the electron transport chain (ETC), are dependent on iron. Connections between factors that regulate iron homeostasis and mitochondrial activities are known in model yeasts and are emerging for fungal pathogens. In this study, we identified connections between iron regulatory transcription factors (e.g., Cir1 and HapX) and the activity of complex III of the ETC that influence the formation of melanin, a key virulence factor in the pathogenic fungus
Cryptococcus neoformans
. This fungus causes meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised people and is a major threat to the HIV/AIDS population. Thus, understanding how mitochondrial functions influence virulence may support new therapeutic approaches to combat diseases caused by
C. neoformans
and other fungi.
UV-C side-emitting optical fiber-based disinfection: a promising approach for infection control in tight channels
Authors: Mohsin Muhammad Salman , Avdic Melisa , Fitzpatrick Katrina , Lanzarini-Lopes Mariana 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

The growth of pathogenic bacteria in moist and wet surfaces and tubing of medically relevant devices results in serious infections in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we investigated and demonstrated the successful implementation of a UV-C side-emitting optical fiber in disinfecting medically relevant pathogenic bacteria (
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
[MRSA]) within tight channels of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE is a commonly used material both in point-of-use (POU) water treatment technologies and medical devices (dental unit water line [DUWL], endoscope). For a 1-m-long PTFE channel, up to ≥6 log inactivation was achieved using a 1-m-long UV side-emitting optical fiber (SEOF) with continuous 16-h exposure of low UV-C radiation ranging from ~0.23 to ~29.30 μW/cm
2
. Furthermore, a linear model was used to calculate the inhibition zone constant (k`), which enables us to establish a correlation between UV dosage and the extent of inactivated surface area (cm
2
) for surface-bound
Escherichia coli
on a nutrient-rich medium. The k` value for an irradiance ranging from ~150 to ~271.50 μW/cm
2
was calculated to be 0.564 ± 0.6 cm·cm
2
/mJ. This study demonstrated the efficacy of SEOFs for disinfection of medically relevant microorganisms present in medically and domestically relevant tight channels. The impact of the results in this study extends to the optimization of operational efficiency in pre-existing UV surface disinfection setups that currently operate at UV dosages exceeding the optimal levels.

IMPORTANCE
Germicidal UV radiation has gained global recognition for its effectiveness in water and surface disinfection. Recently, various works have illustrated the benefit of using UV-C side-emitting optical fibers (SEOFs) for the disinfection of tight polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) channels. This study now demonstrates its impact for disinfection of medically relevant organisms and introduces critical design calculations needed for its implementation. The flexible geometry and controlled emission of light in these UV-SEOFs make them ideal for light distribution in tight channels. Moreover, the results presented in this manuscript provide a novel framework that can be employed in various applications, addressing microbial contamination and the disinfection of tight channels.
SARS-CoV-2 cellular and humoral responses in vaccine-naive individuals during the first two waves of COVID-19 infections in the southern region of The Netherlands: a cross-sectional population-based study
Authors: Hanssen D. A. T. , Arts K. , Nix W. H. V. , Sweelssen N. N. B. , Welbers T. T. J. , de Theije C. , Wieten L. , Pagen D. M. E. , Brinkhues S. , Penders J. , Dukers-Muijrers N. H. T. M. , Hoebe C. J. P. A. , Savelkoul P. H. M. , van Loo I. H. M. 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

With the emergence of highly transmissible variants of concern, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) still poses a global threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resurgence. Cellular responses to novel variants are more robustly maintained than humoral responses, and therefore, cellular responses are of interest in assessing immune protection against severe disease in the population. We aimed to assess cellular responses to SARS-CoV-2 at the population level. IFN
γ
(interferon
γ
) responses to wild-type SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed using an ELISpot assay in vaccine-naive individuals with different humoral responses: Ig (IgM and/or IgG) seronegative (
n
= 90) and seropositive (
n
= 181) with low (<300 U/mL) or high (≥300 U/mL) humoral responses to the spike receptor binding domain (anti-S-RBD). Among the seropositive participants, 71.3% (129/181) were IFN
γ
ELISpot positive, compared to 15.6% (14/90) among the seronegative participants. Common COVID-19 symptoms such as fever and ageusia were associated with IFN
γ
ELISpot positivity in seropositive participants, whereas no participant characteristics were associated with IFN
γ
ELISpot positivity in seronegative participants. Fever and/or dyspnea and anti-S-RBD levels were associated with higher IFN
γ
responses. Symptoms of more severe disease and higher anti-S-RBD responses were associated with higher IFN
γ
responses. A significant proportion (15.6%) of seronegative participants had a positive IFN
γ
ELISpot. Assessment of cellular responses may improve estimates of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in the general population.

IMPORTANCE
Data on adaptive cellular immunity are of interest to define immune protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in a population, which is important for decision-making on booster-vaccination strategies. This study provides data on associations between participant characteristics and cellular immune responses in vaccine-naive individuals with different humoral responses.