bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Outcomes of a Large, Prospective Series of Gastric Electrical Stimulation Patients Using a Multidisciplinary Protocol
Authors: Cassidy Douglas J , Gerull William , Zike Valerie M , Awad Michael M 
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND:
Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) is an intervention used in the treatment of medically refractory gastroparesis. There are few large series demonstrating efficacy over a long-term follow-up period. This study reports clinical outcomes for patients from a single institution for up to 5 years.

STUDY DESIGN:
A prospective database of patients undergoing GES implantation for gastroparesis was collected and reviewed. Patients were selected according to a multidisciplinary institutional protocol. Baseline characteristics, including age, sex, smoking history, etiology of gastroparesis, and duration of gastroparesis symptoms, were collected. Symptomatic response was evaluated using Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) surveys preoperatively and at subsequent follow-up visits. Other clinical outcome variables include medication use, hospitalizations due to gastroparesis, and overall satisfaction with symptom relief. Patient outcomes regarding reoperation and explantation were also recorded.

RESULTS:
A total of 157 patients have undergone GES at our institution since 2012. GCSI scores were collected in all patients at baseline, in 141 patients at 1-year follow-up, and in 110 patients at 5-year follow-up. Symptom severity in all 9 gastroparesis symptoms evaluated by the GCSI, as well as the total GCSI score, was reduced significantly at 1 year postoperatively, and these results were sustained at 5-year follow-up. Use of prokinetic and antiemetic medications was reduced during the follow-up period. Hospitalizations due to gastroparesis symptoms were also reduced. GES devices were explanted in 5 patients, 12 patients required generator exchanges, and 7 patients required reoperation due to displaced or eroded device leads during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS:
GES is associated with sustained symptomatic relief, reduced reliance on medications, and reduced hospitalizations in gastroparesis patients selected using our institutional protocol.
Phenotypic antibiotics susceptibility profile of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Kaduna State, North-west Nigeria
Authors: Ezeh Peace Amarachukwu , Olayinka Busayo Olalekan , Bolaji Rebecca Olajumoke , Suleiman Babangida Ahmed , Olowookere Ahmed 
Published: April 2024

Background: The increasing resistance of clinical Enterobacteriaceae infection to commonly prescribed antibiotics have been reported around the world. Data is generally lacking on the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profile of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Kaduna, northwest Nigeria. This study thus aimed to determine the diversity of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from clinical specimens of patients admitted into two selected healthcare institutions in Kaduna, Nigeria.
Methods: Non-duplicate clinical bacteria isolates recovered from various specimens were collected and identified using rapid biochemical identification kits. The susceptibility of identified Enterobacteriaceae to various antibiotics and phenotypic detection of carbapenemase enzymes were thereafter determined.
Results: Of the 500 collected bacterial isolates, 108 (21.6 %) were identified as Enterobacteriaceae, with Pantoea agglomerans (52, 48.1%), Klebsiella oxytoca (19, 17.6%) as the most prevalent. The isolates exhibited high resistance to azithromycin (69%) and ceftazidime (42%), while exhibiting low resistance to amikacin (7%) and imipenem (10%). Among the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) isolates, a significant proportion (66.6 %) tested positive for carbapenemase activity.
Conclusion: This study reports a high prevalence of multi-drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria. The emergence of pathogenic P. agglomerans and an alarmingly high prevalence of carbapenemase-producing CRE are also observed. The presence of carbapenemase producers in an area with low carbapenem usage and resistance rates raises significant concerns. Continuous surveillance and robust antibiotic stewardship policies are imperative to preserve the efficacy of carbapenems in this region.
Relevance of Antibodies against the Chicken Anaemia Virus
Authors: Ingberman Max , Caron Luiz Felipe , Rigo Fernanda , Araujo Liliam C. , de Almeida Marco A.P. , Dal Bérto Letícia , Beirão Breno Castello Branco 
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACTBackgroundChicken Infectious Anaemia (CIA) Virus (CAV) curtails the function of multiple immune compartments. Mortality due to blatant infection is controlled in broilers by passive immunization derived from vaccinated breeders. Therefore, chicks are often assessed by serology to determine maternally-derived antibodies (MDA).MethodsA vaccine overdose-induced model of CIA. The model replicated the most common features of the disease. This model was used to determine the role of MDA in the protection of chicks. Hatchlings were tested for anti-CAV by ELISA and were sorted into groups based on antibody levels. SPF chicks were used as a no-antibody control.ResultsLower specific antibody levels seemed to facilitate viral entry into the thymus, but viral levels, CD4+and CD8+counts, thymus architecture, and haematocrit were preserved by MDA, regardless of its levels.ConclusionLevels of MDA are not correlated with CIA, but are important for CAV infection.IMPORTANCEVaccination is paramount in broiler production. Many of the vaccines are given to broiler breeders, instead of to the broilers themselves. This is cost-effective and practical, since in vaccinating one breeder hundreds of broilers are born with maternally-derived protection. To assess the quality of maternal immunity, antibodies are measured in their chicks. For Chicken Anaemia, this does not seem to suffice to verify protection. This viral disease is very common, and measuring maternal immunity against it determines whether to purchase chicks from a breeder farm. In this study, we verified that antibodies are not correlated with protection from the disease, and therefore should not be used as the sole parameter in assessing immunity against Chicken Anaemia in broilers.
Blind but alive - congenital loss ofatoh7disrupts the visual system of adult zebrafish
Authors: Hammer Juliane , Röppenack Paul , Yousuf Sarah , Machate Anja , Fischer Marika , Hans Stefan , Brand Michael 
Published: April 2024

1AbstractPurposeVision is the predominant sense in most animal species. Loss of vision can be caused by a multitude of factors resulting in anatomical as well as behavioral changes. In mice and zebrafish,atoh7mutants are completely blind as they fail to generate retinal ganglion cells during development. In contrast to mice, raising blind zebrafish to adulthood is challenging and this important model is currently missing in the field. Here, we report the phenotype of homozygous mutant adult zebrafishatoh7mutants that have been raised using adjusted feeding and holding conditions.MethodsThe phenotype of adult mutants was characterized using classical histology and immunohistochemistry as well as optical coherence tomography. In addition, the optokinetic response was characterized.ResultsAdultatoh7mutants display dark body pigmentation and significantly reduced body length. They fail to form retinal ganglion cells, the resulting nerve fiber layer as well as the optic nerve, and consequently behave completely blindly. In contrast, increased amounts of other retinal neurons and Müller glia are formed. In addition, the optic tectum is anatomically reduced in size, presumably due to the missing retinal input.ConlusionsTaken together, we provide a comprehensive characterization of a completely blind adult zebrafish mutant with focus on retinal and tectal morphology, as a useful model for glaucoma and optic nerve aplasia.
Investigating the impact of lived experience stories on self-harm, mood, and help-seeking intentions: an experimental study
Authors: Ferrar Jennifer , Winstone Lizzy , Penton-Voak Ian , Biddle Lucy , Moran Paul , Grace Lydia , Mars Becky 
Published: April 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the psychological impact of variations in help-seeking messages contained in lived experience stories about self-harm.MethodIn an online experiment, individuals with a recent history of self-harm, were randomised to read stories that either mentioned: i) self-help strategies, ii) seeking help from informal and formal sources, or iii) did not mention help-seeking. Help-seeking intentions, mood, entrapment, and expectations of future self-harm was measured, and participants provided feedback on the stories.ResultsThere was limited evidence for an effect of story type on future help-seeking intentions and stronger evidence for an effect of story type on negative affect. Participants in the “Self-help” condition reported lower negative affect after reading the stories compared to participants in the “No help” condition (Mean difference = -3.97, 95% CI -7.72 to -0.22, p = .04) and the “Informal/formal” help condition (Mean difference = -3.70, 95% CI -7.55 to 0.14, p =.06). A key criticism of the stories was that they were unrelatable, but this sentiment was less prevalent among those in the “No help” condition. Key positives were that the stories included a realistic but hopeful outlook of recovery (less prevalent in the “Informal/formal help” condition) and were supportive (less prevalent in the “No help” condition).ConclusionWhile the inclusion of self-help strategies in a lived experience story reduced its impact on negative affect, the inclusion of self-help strategies or seeking help from others did not encourage future help-seeking intentions. Making stories relatable, authentic, and providing multiple strategies for support might be key to encourage help-seeking, but more research is needed.
How Do Neurotransmitter Pathways Contribute to Neuroimaging Phenotypes?
Authors: Ebneabbasi Amir , Afshani Mortaza , Seyed-Ahmadi Arman , Warrier Varun , Bethlehem Richard A.I. , Rittman Timothy 
Published: April 2024

AbstractNeuroimaging could accurately reflect human behaviour in health and disease, but the mechanism by which image-derived phenotypes correspond to neurotransmitter systems remains uncertain. Prior studies have explored spatial correlations between neuroimaging phenotypes and positron emission tomography radiotracers. However, the influence of neurotransmitters goes beyond the receptors/transporters, influencing a wider array of intracellular components as pivotal parts of neurotransmitter pathways. Here, we used unsupervised learning to understand how the brain maps of healthy function (i.e., magnetoencephalography frequency-specific power) and abnormal structure (i.e., disorder-specific cortical thickness) are closely anchored to underlying neurotransmitter pathways assessed by gene expression data. To do this, we used large-scale datasets of the Human Connectome Project (HCP), Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) and Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA). We considered spatial and random gene null models to mitigate false positives. We replicate our analyses using different gene stability thresholds. This analytic approach paves the way for personalised medicine and advanced biomarkers.
Macrovascular blood flow and microvascular cerebrovascular reactivity are regionally coupled in adolescence
Authors: Zvolanek Kristina M. , Moore Jackson E. , Jarvis Kelly , Moum Sarah J. , Bright Molly G. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractCerebrovascular imaging assessments are particularly challenging in adolescent cohorts, where not all modalities are appropriate, and rapid brain maturation alters hemodynamics at both macro- and microvascular scales. In a preliminary sample of healthy adolescents (n=12, 8-25 years), we investigated relationships between 4D flow MRI-derived blood velocity and blood flow in bilateral anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries and BOLD cerebrovascular reactivity in associated vascular territories. As hypothesized, higher velocities in large arteries are associated with an earlier response to a vasodilatory stimulus (cerebrovascular reactivity delay) in the downstream territory. Higher blood flow through these arteries is associated with a larger BOLD response to a vasodilatory stimulus (cerebrovascular reactivity amplitude) in the associated territory. These trends are consistent in a case study of adult moyamoya disease. In our small adolescent cohort, macrovascular-microvascular relationships for velocity/delay and flow/CVR change with age, though underlying mechanisms are unclear. Our work emphasizes the need to better characterize this key stage of human brain development, when cerebrovascular hemodynamics are changing, and standard imaging methods offer limited insight into these processes. We provide important normative data for future comparisons in pathology, where combining macro- and microvascular assessments may better help us prevent, stratify, and treat cerebrovascular disease.
Developmental origins of Parkinson’s disease risk: perinatal exposure to the organochlorine pesticide dieldrin leads to sex-specific DNA modifications in critical neurodevelopmental pathways in the mouse midbrain
Authors: Kochmanski Joseph , Virani Mahek , Kuhn Nathan C. , Boyd Sierra L. , Becker Katelyn , Adams Marie , Bernstein Alison I. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractEpidemiological studies show that exposure to the organochlorine pesticide dieldrin is associated with increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Animal studies support a link between developmental dieldrin exposure and increased neuronal susceptibility in the α-synuclein preformed fibril (α-syn PFF) and MPTP models in adult male C57BL/6 mice. In a previous study, we showed that developmental dieldrin exposure was associated with sex-specific changes in DNA modifications within genes related to dopaminergic neuron development and maintenance at 12 weeks of age. Here, we used capture hybridization-sequencing with custom baits to interrogate DNA modifications across the entire genetic loci of the previously identified genes at multiple time points – birth, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 36 weeks old. We identified largely sex-specific dieldrin-induced changes in DNA modifications at each time point that annotated to pathways important for neurodevelopment, potentially related to critical steps in early neurodevelopment, dopaminergic neuron differentiation, synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and glial-neuron interactions. Despite large numbers of age-specific DNA modifications, longitudinal analysis identified a small number of DMCs with dieldrin-induced deflection of epigenetic aging. The sex-specificity of these results adds to evidence that sex-specific responses to PD-related exposures may underly sex-specific differences in disease. Overall, these data support the idea that developmental dieldrin exposure leads to changes in epigenetic patterns that persist after the exposure period and disrupt critical neurodevelopmental pathways, thereby impacting risk of late life diseases, including PD.
Involvement of the cerebellum in structural connectivity enhancement in episodic migraine
Authors: Matoso Ana , Fouto Ana R , Esteves Inês , Ruiz-Tagle Amparo , Caetano Gina , da Silva Nuno A , Vilela Pedro , Gil-Gouveia Raquel , Nunes Rita G , Figueiredo Patrícia 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe pathophysiology of migraine remains poorly understood, yet a growing number of studies have shown structural connectivity disruptions across large-scale brain networks. Although both structural and functional changes have been found in the cerebellum of migraine patients, the cerebellum has barely been assessed in previous structural connectivity studies of migraine. Our objective is to investigate the structural connectivity of the entire brain, including the cerebellum, in individuals diagnosed with episodic migraine without aura during the interictal phase, compared with healthy controls.MethodsTo that end, 14 migraine patients and 15 healthy controls were recruited (all female), and diffusion-weighted and T1-weighted MRI data were acquired. The structural connectome was estimated for each participant based on two different whole-brain parcellations, including cortical and subcortical regions as well as the cerebellum. The structural connectivity patterns, as well as global and local graph theory metrics, were compared between patients and controls, for each of the two parcellations, using network-based statistics and a generalized linear model (GLM), respectively. We also compared the number of connectome streamlines within specific white matter tracts using a GLM.ResultsWe found increased structural connectivity in migraine patients relative to healthy controls with a distinct involvement of cerebellar regions, using both parcellations. Specifically, the node degree of the posterior lobe of the cerebellum was greater in patients than in controls and patients presented a higher number of streamlines within the anterior limb of the internal capsule. Moreover, the connectomes of patients exhibited greater global efficiency and shorter characteristic path length, which correlated with the age onset of migraine.ConclusionsA distinctive pattern of heightened structural connectivity and enhanced global efficiency in migraine patients compared to controls was identified, which distinctively involves the cerebellum. These findings provide evidence for increased integration within structural brain networks in migraine and underscore the significance of the cerebellum in migraine pathophysiology.
Genetically encoded reporters of actin filament organization in living cells and tissues
Authors: Silva Martins Carla , Iv François , Kumar Suman Shashi , Panagiotou Thomas C. , Sidor Clara , Ruso-López María , Plancke Camille N. , Omi Shizue , Pagès Rebecca , Gomes Maxime , Llewellyn Alexander , Bandi Sourish Reddy , Ramond Laurie , Arbizzani Federica , Rimoli Caio Vaz , Schnorrer Frank , Robin François , Wilde Andrew , LeGoff Loïc , Pedelacq Jean-Denis , Jégou Antoine , Cabantous Stéphanie , Rincon Sergio A. , Chandre Cristel , Brasselet Sophie , Mavrakis Manos 
Published: April 2024

SUMMARYThe cytoskeletal protein actin is crucial for cell shape and integrity throughout eukaryotes. Actin filaments perform essential biological functions, including muscle contraction, cell division and tissue morphogenesis. These diverse activities are achieved through the ability of actin filaments to be arranged into precise architectures. Much progress has been made in defining the proteome of the actin cytoskeleton, but a detailed appreciation of the dynamic organizational state of the actin filaments themselves has been hindered by available tools. Fluorescence polarization microscopy is uniquely placed for measuring actin filament organization by exploiting the sensitivity of polarized light excitation to the orientation of fluorophores attached to actin filaments. By engineering fusions of five widely used actin localization reporters to fluorescent proteins with constrained mobility, we have succeeded in developing genetically-encoded, green- and red-fluorescent-protein-based reporters for non-invasive, quantitative measurements of actin filament organization in living cells and tissues by fluorescence polarization microscopy.
Cell wall-mediated maternal control of apical-basal patterning of the kelpUndaria pinnatifida
Authors: Dries Eloise , Meyers Yannick , Liesner Daniel , Gonzaga Floriele , Becker Jakob , Zakka Eliane E. , Beeckman Tom , Coelho Susana M , Clerck Olivier De , Bogaert Kenny A 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe role of maternal tissue in the control of embryogenesis remains enigmatic in many complex organisms. Here, we investigate the contribution of maternal tissue to apical-basal patterning in the kelp embryo. Using a modified kelp fertilisation protocol which yields synchronously developing kelp embryos, we show that detachment from maternal tissue leads to compromised robustness of apical-basal patterning. Detached embryos are rounder and often show aberrant morphologies. Furthermore, absence of contact with maternal tissue increases parthenogenesis, highlighting the critical role of maternal signals in the initial stages of kelp development. When zygotes are detached from the female gametophyte while part of the oogonial cell wall still remains attached to the egg, the proper apical-basal patterning is rescued showing a key role for the connection to the maternal cell wall in developmental patterning in kelps. This observation is reminiscent of another brown alga,Fucus, where the cell wall has been shown to play a key role in cell fate determination. In the case of kelps, the maternal oogonium mediates basal cell fate determination by providing an extrinsic patterning cue in its extracellular matrix to the future embryo. Our findings suggest a conserved mechanism across phylogenetically distant oogamous brown algal lineages, where localised secretion of sulphated F2 fucans mediate establishment of the apical-basal polarity.
Delving into the claustrum: insights into memory formation, stabilization and updating in mice
Authors: Medina Candela , Ramos Santiago Ojea , Depino Amaicha M , Romano Arturo G , Krawczyk María C , Boccia Mariano M 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe claustrum is a brain structure that remains shrouded in mystery due to the limited understanding of its cellular structure, neural pathways, functionality and physiological aspects. Significant research has unveiled connections spanning from the claustrum to the entire cortex as well as subcortical areas. This widespread connectivity has led to speculations of its role in integrating information from different brain regions, possibly contributing to processes such as attention, consciousness, learning and memory. Our working hypothesis posits that claustrum neural activity contributes to the formation, stabilization and updating of long-term memories in mice. We found evidence in CF-1 mice of a decline in behavioral performance in an inhibitory avoidance task due to intra-claustral administration of 2% lidocaine immediately after a training session or memory recall. Nevertheless, this does not seem to be the case for the acquisition or retrieval of this type of memory, although its neural activity is significantly increased after training, evaluated through c-Fos expression. Moreover, inhibition of the claustrum’s synaptic activity appears to impair stabilization but not the acquisition or retrieval of an unconditioned memory formed in a nose-poke habituation task.