bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nitrergic inhibition of sympathetic arteriolar constrictions in the female rodent urethra
Authors: Hashitani Hikaru , Mitsui Retsu , Hirai Yuuna , Tanaka Hidekazu , Miwa‐Nishimura Kyoko 
Published: April 2024

AbstractDuring the urine storage phase, tonically contracting urethral musculature would have a higher energy consumption than bladder muscle that develops phasic contractions. However, ischaemic dysfunction is less prevalent in the urethra than in the bladder, suggesting that urethral vasculature has intrinsic properties ensuring an adequate blood supply. Diameter changes in rat or mouse urethral arterioles were measured using a video‐tracking system. Intercellular Ca2+ dynamics in arteriolar smooth muscle (SMCs) and endothelial cells were visualised using NG2‐ and parvalbumin‐GCaMP6 mice, respectively. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to visualise the perivascular innervation. In rat urethral arterioles, sympathetic vasoconstrictions were predominantly suppressed by α,β‐methylene ATP (10 μM) but not prazosin (1 μM). Tadalafil (100 nM), a PDE5 inhibitor, diminished the vasoconstrictions in a manner reversed by N‐ω‐propyl‐l‐arginine hydrochloride (l‐NPA, 1 μM), a neuronal NO synthesis (nNOS) inhibitor. Vesicular acetylcholine transporter immunoreactive perivascular nerve fibres co‐expressing nNOS were intertwined with tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive sympathetic nerve fibres. In phenylephrine (1 μM) pre‐constricted rat or mouse urethral arterioles, nerve‐evoked vasodilatations or transient SMC Ca2+ reductions were largely diminished by l‐nitroarginine (l‐NA, 10 μM), a broad‐spectrum NOS inhibitor, but not by l‐NPA. The CGRP receptor antagonist BIBN‐4096 (1 μM) shortened the vasodilatory responses, while atropine (1 μM) abolished the l‐NA‐resistant transient vasodilatory responses. Nerve‐evoked endothelial Ca2+ transients were abolished by atropine plus guanethidine (10 μM), indicating its neurotransmitter origin and absence of non‐adrenergic non‐cholinergic endothelial NO release. In urethral arterioles, NO released from parasympathetic nerves counteracts sympathetic vasoconstrictions pre‐ and post‐synaptically to restrict arteriolar contractility.
imageKey points
Despite a higher energy consumption of the urethral musculature than the bladder detrusor muscle, ischaemic dysfunction of the urethra is less prevalent than that of the bladder.
In the urethral arterioles, sympathetic vasoconstrictions are predominately mediated by ATP, not noradrenaline.
NO released from parasympathetic nerves counteracts sympathetic vasoconstrictions by its pre‐synaptic inhibition of sympathetic transmission as well as post‐synaptic arteriolar smooth muscle relaxation.
Acetylcholine released from parasympathetic nerves contributes to endothelium‐dependent, transient vasodilatations, while CGRP released from sensory nerves prolongs NO‐mediated vasodilatations.
PDE5 inhibitors could be beneficial to maintain and/or improve urethral blood supply and in turn the volume and contractility of urethral musculature.
Influence of Porous Inserts and Compact Resonators on Onset of Taconis Oscillations
Authors: Matveev Konstantin I. 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
Taconis oscillations represent excitation of acoustic modes due to large thermal gradients inside narrow tubes penetrating cryogenic vessels from a warm ambient environment. These oscillations are usually harmful, as they may drastically increase heat leakage into cryogenic vessels and result in strong vibrations of measuring instruments. Placing a porous material inside a tube with a goal to increase acoustic damping or attaching a small resonator to the main tube are some of the possible ways to suppress or mitigate Taconis effects. However, when the porous inserts are positioned in locations with large temperature gradients or the resonator parameters are selected incorrectly, these components may augment thermal-to-acoustic energy conversion and enhance Taconis oscillations. A low-amplitude thermoacoustic model has been extended and applied in this study to determine the effects of the insert location and pore radius, as well as the resonator dimensions, on the onset of Taconis phenomena in a hydrogen-filled tube of relevance to lines used in cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks. The presented findings can assist cryogenic specialists interested in suppressing or exciting Taconis oscillations.
Experimental Combustion and Flame Characterization of a Chemical Looping-Based Oxidative Dehydrogenation Byproduct Fuel Mixture Containing High CO2 Dilution
Authors: Nonavinakere Vinod Kaushik , Gore Matt , Fang Tiegang 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
This study investigates the combustion performance of a CO2-rich fuel mixture containing ethane and methane as active species using a constant volume combustion chamber. This fuel is obtained as a byproduct of a chemical looping-based oxidative dehydrogenation (Cl-ODH) process ethylene production. The byproduct gas mixture has 40.79% CO2, 39.49% ethane, and 4.88% methane by weight with other minor compounds. Using this fuel for energy extraction would improve the process efficiency of the ethane to ethylene conversion. After initial combustion modeling, the gas fuel mixture was reduced to just the major species: CO2, ethane, and methane. The mixture was then tested for flammability limits and combustion performance under spark-ignition conditions. Effects of ambient conditions like temperatures between 300 and 400 K with initial pressures from 1 to 10 bar were tested. The effects of stoichiometry were tested to understand flame velocities and heat release. The fuel mixture showed an overall reduced flame velocity compared to gasoline. Instability in combustion was believed to be caused by the dissociation of ethane under elevated conditions. At higher pressures, the flame produces lower cumulative heat release. Simulations were also performed using a model tuned to replicate the operations of the combustion chamber used in the experiments. Heat release and unburnt fuel mass data were calculated to identify the discrepancies in the combustion completeness at elevated pressures. The effects of CO2 quenching the flame coupled with the increased dissociation of the fuel species can lead to up to more than 75% of the fuel mixture being unburnt. Data from this study were used to modify a small-scale spark-ignition engine to use this fuel and produce usable energy.
Examining the Agreement Between the activPAL micro4 and ActiGraph GT9X Accelerometers on Daily Movement Behaviors Among Adults With Total Knee Replacement
Authors: DeVivo Katherine E. , Yang Chih-Hsiang , Pellegrini Christine A. 
Published: April 2024

Objective: The primary purpose was to examine the agreement in sedentary, light, and moderate to vigorous minutes and step counts between the activPAL micro4 and ActiGraph GT9X in adults following total knee replacement. A secondary purpose was to examine the agreement between the activPAL micro4 and ActiGraph GT9X accelerometers at two different time points after surgery (∼1 and 3 months). Methods: Participants in a randomized trial wore ActiGraph GT9X and activPAL micro4 monitors simultaneously for 7 days at ∼1 and 3 months after total knee replacement. The intraclass correlations for time spent in sedentary behavior, light, and moderate to vigorous activity in addition to step counts were estimated to determine consistency between the two monitors. Bland–Altman plot demonstrated the 95% limits of agreement between the monitors at both time points. Results: A total of 480 observations (days) were used from 41 participants (64.9 ± 7 years, 32.4 ± 6.5 kg/m2, 75.6% White, 61% female). The intraclass correlations between the ActiGraph GT9X and activPAL micro4 accelerometers was .839 for sedentary behavior, .853 for light activity, .806 for moderate to vigorous activity, and .937 for steps. The 95% confidence intervals of intraclass correlations between time points indicate a significantly higher agreement between the monitors at 3 months as compared with 1 month. Conclusion: The results suggest that either the ActiGraph GT9X or the activPAL micro4 accelerometers may be used for measuring sedentary, light, and moderate to vigorous minutes and step counts in adults after knee replacement.
Revisiting the stratigraphic development of the postglacial, transgressive paleo-Changjiang (Yangtze River) mouth: A journey from tide-dominated estuary to delta
Authors: Liu Shihao , Goff John A. , Feng Wei , Liu Yan , Shan Xin , Hu Weifen , Chen Yufeng , Wang Ya Ping 
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The transition between a tide-dominated estuary and a tide-dominated delta, which is observed in modern settings and repeatedly throughout the geologic record, is a critical process for understanding sea-level and environmental changes. This transition remains poorly documented, however, leaving a knowledge gap about the sedimentary and stratigraphic processes involved. To help bridge the gap, we reexamined the postglacial transgressive system beneath the modern Changjiang (Yangtze River) Delta, built by one of the world’s largest rivers, using new chirp data supplemented by correlation with previously documented boreholes. Our results revealed a previously undocumented tide-dominated estuary-to-delta transition around the Younger Dryas, with the pretransition evolution dominated by the retrogradation of the tide-dominated estuary, which fills most of the accommodation space in the lowstand incised valley. This transition occurred when the middle and seaward parts of the estuary reached the subaqueous modern Changjiang Delta area and underwent extensive tidal erosion. Overlying the tidal ravinement, a series of ridge-and-swale structures formed due to tidal/fluviotidal channelization on the mud-dominated heterolithic substrate, primarily consisting of delta-front sediments characterized by flat, stratified reflections (bedding) with shallowing-upward trends. Ridge orientation rotates clockwise from north to south, with intervening swales bifurcating from a common apex point, and these features are flanked by inclined and sigmoidal levee-like channel fills dominated by homogeneous mud (acoustically transparent material). We reinterpret these features as tide-dominated delta islands and distributary channels, rather than the previously interpreted erosional mud ridges in the seaward part of the estuary, as they align with patterns observed in classic tide-dominated deltas. These patterns also suggest a shift from delta-front to delta-plain environments coinciding with shoreline advance ca. 10 k.y. B.P., but this was preceded by the evolution of a backstepping delta. Our study highlights the interplay between sediment supply and sea-level fluctuations in controlling the large-scale stratigraphic and environmental evolution of tidal-dominated river mouth systems. In the transgressive, paleo-Changjiang mouth, this interplay drove the system to evolve through stages of retrogradational estuary, backstepping delta, and progradational delta, and each environment differs significantly from the pattern observed in the modern Changjiang Delta. This study provides important insights for evaluating the evolution and sequence-stratigraphic reconstruction of other tidal depositional systems.
Effective fall prevention exercise in residential aged care: an intervention component analysis from an updated systematic review
Authors: Dawson Rik , Suen Jenni , Sherrington Catherine , Kwok Wing , Pinheiro Marina B , Haynes Abby , McLennan Charlotte , Sutcliffe Katy , Kneale Dylan , Dyer Suzanne 
Published: April 2024

ObjectiveThe effect of fall prevention exercise programmes in residential aged care (RAC) is uncertain. This paper reports on an intervention component analysis (ICA) of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), from an update of a Cochrane review, to develop a theory of features of successful fall prevention exercise in RAC.MethodsTrial characteristics were extracted from RCTs testing exercise interventions in RAC identified from an update of a Cochrane review to December 2022 (n=32). Eligible trials included RCTs or cluster RCTs in RAC, focusing on participants aged 65 or older, assessing fall outcomes with stand-alone exercise interventions. ICA was conducted on trials with >30 participants per treatment arm compared with control (n=17). Two authors coded trialists’ perceptions on intervention features that may have contributed to the observed effect on falls. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify the key differences between the trials which might account for positive and negative outcomes.Results32 RCTs involving 3960 residents including people with cognitive (57%) and mobility (41%) impairments were included. ICA on the 17 eligible RCTs informed the development of a theory that (1) effective fall prevention exercise deliversthe right exerciseby specifically targeting balance and strength, tailored to the individual and delivered simply at a moderate intensity and (2) successful implementation needs to besufficiently resourcedto deliver structured and supervised exercise at an adequate dose.ConclusionsThis analysis suggests that delivering the right exercise, sufficiently resourced, is important for preventing falls in RAC. This clinical guidance requires confirmation in larger trials.
Reimagining nutrition education for pregnant adolescents in the face of climate change: a community approach
Authors: de Meijer Fleur , Kimanthi Mary , Cheruiyot Susan , Muia Alex Makau , Goga Donnah , Azamkhan Mohamed Soulthy , Njoga Cecilia , Gathu Catherine , Agoi Felix , Nyamu Nelson , Shabani Jacob 
Published: April 2024

ObjectivesTo explore challenges with current nutrition education for teenage pregnant women in a drought-prone community in Kenya and to elicit the communities’ suggestions on how to best adapt it in the face of climate change.DesignNine serial focus group discussions (four with adolescents, two with their parents, two with community health volunteers and one with healthcare workers) were conducted on a purposively selected study population in Kaloleni, Kilifi County, Kenya. Data collection took place between March and November 2022, with a total of 73 participants. An inductive approach was used, and interpretive thematic coding was done as the primary analytic strategy to allow themes derived from participants’ reflections.ResultsFirst, participants reported that unpredictable rainfall patterns had affected nutrition intake and variety due to reduced yield from farmland, diseases in livestock and insufficient income. Second, participants reported barriers to accessing nutrition education, as it was mainly given in clinics and not targeted at adolescents or men. Third, they experienced challenges in applying nutrition education in daily life due to a mismatch between available foods and cultural practices. Recommendations for the future encompassed equipping individuals with practical cooking skills tailored to available nutrients, initiatives aimed at water conservation and addressing animal health concerns, enhancing accessibility through community-based training programmes and fostering collaborative efforts to ensure the provision of essential nutrients.ConclusionFood choices in Kilifi County are getting more limited due to unpredicted rainfall patterns. Therefore, a reorientation of nutrition education is needed in order to build resilience in the community. Strengthening community action, including developing skills to increase long-term local support, would be needed to ensure the adequate nutrition status of vulnerable groups like pregnant adolescent women.
Checkpoint inhibitor-expressing lentiviral vaccine suppresses tumor growth in preclinical cancer models
Authors: Tada Takuya , Norton Thomas D , Leibowitz Rebecca , Landau Nathaniel R 
Published: April 2024

BackgroundWhile immunotherapy has been highly successful for the treatment of some cancers, for others, the immune response to tumor antigens is weak leading to treatment failure. The resistance of tumors to checkpoint inhibitor therapy may be caused by T cell exhaustion resulting from checkpoint activation.MethodsIn this study, lentiviral vectors that expressed T cell epitopes of an experimentally introduced tumor antigen, ovalbumin, or the endogenous tumor antigen, Trp1 were developed. The vectors coexpressed CD40 ligand (CD40L), which served to mature the dendritic cells (DCs), and a soluble programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) microbody to prevent checkpoint activation. Vaccination of mice bearing B16.OVA melanomas with vector-transduced DCs induced the proliferation and activation of functional, antigen-specific, cytolytic CD8 T cells.ResultsVaccination induced the expansion of CD8 T cells that infiltrated the tumors to suppress tumor growth. Vector-encoded CD40L and PD-1 microbody increased the extent of tumor growth suppression. Adoptive transfer demonstrated that the effect was mediated by CD8 T cells. Direct injection of the vector, without the need for ex vivo transduction of DCs, was also effective.ConclusionsThis study suggests that therapeutic vaccination that induces tumor antigen-specific CD8 T cells coupled with a vector-expressed checkpoint inhibitor can be an effective means to suppress the growth of tumors that are resistant to conventional immunotherapy.
Clinical value of plasma ALZpath pTau217 immunoassay for assessing mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Lehmann Sylvain , Schraen-Maschke Susanna , Vidal Jean-Sébastien , Delaby Constance , Buee Luc , Blanc Frédéric , Paquet Claire , Allinquant Bernadette , Bombois Stéphanie , Gabelle Audrey , Hanon Olivier 
Published: April 2024

BackgroundAmong plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), pTau181 and pTau217 are the most promising. However, transition from research to routine clinical use will require confirmation of clinical performance in prospective cohorts and evaluation of cofounding factors.MethodpTau181 and pTau217 were quantified using, Quanterix and ALZpath, SIMOA assays in the well-characterised prospective multicentre BALTAZAR (Biomarker of AmyLoid pepTide and AlZheimer's diseAse Risk) cohort of participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).ResultsAmong participants with MCI, 55% were Aβ+ and 29% developed dementia due to AD. pTau181 and pTau217 were higher in the Aβ+ population with fold change of 1.5 and 2.7, respectively. MCI that converted to AD also had higher levels than non-converters, with HRs of 1.38 (1.26 to 1.51) for pTau181 compared with 8.22 (5.45 to 12.39) for pTau217. The area under the curve for predicting Aβ+ was 0.783 (95% CI 0.721 to 0.836; cut-point 2.75 pg/mL) for pTau181 and 0.914 (95% CI 0.868 to 0.948; cut-point 0.44 pg/mL) for pTau217. The high predictive power of pTau217 was not improved by adding age, sex and apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOEε4) status, in a logistic model. Age, APOEε4 and renal dysfunction were associated with pTau levels, but the clinical performance of pTau217 was only marginally altered by these factors. Using a two cut-point approach, a 95% positive predictive value for Aβ+ corresponded to pTau217 >0.8 pg/mL and a 95% negative predictive value at <0.23 pg/mL. At these two cut-points, the percentages of MCI conversion were 56.8% and 9.7%, respectively, while the annual rates of decline in Mini-Mental State Examination were −2.32 versus −0.65.ConclusionsPlasma pTau217 and pTau181 both correlate with AD, but the fold change in pTau217 makes it better to diagnose cerebral amyloidosis, and predict cognitive decline and conversion to AD dementia.
Phylogenetic placement of Carex dianae Steud., a sedge endemic to the South Atlantic island of St. Helena
Authors: Bradshaw Cassandra D.V. , Percy Diana M. , Thomas-Williams Vanessa , Cairns-Wicks Rebecca , Gray Alan , Cronk Quentin C. 
Published: April 2024

Carex dianae Steud. is an endemic sedge of St. Helena, an isolated island in the South Atlantic. Our study provides the first molecular sequence data for this taxon. We generated sequence data for plastid matK and trnK regions and nuclear internal transcribed spacer and external transcribed spacer regions to determine the placement of C. dianae in the broader Carex phylogeny. The placement of C. dianae falls within Carex sect. Spirostachyae Drejer, and it is sister to a clade including Carex clavata Thunb., Carex aethiopica Schkuhr (both from the Cape region of S. Africa), and Carex gunniana Boott (southern Australia). The existence of three divergent nucleotype groups and two plastotypes is revealed from genetic variation within C. dianae. The results suggest that the ancestor of C. dianae likely originated in the Cape region of South Africa, followed by transoceanic dispersal to St. Helena estimated at 4.4–4.9 million years ago, likely by a bird vector. The most divergent population is that on an isolated hill known as “The Barn”, which may represent a distinct taxon. The existence of highly structured molecular variation within an island only 16 km long is discussed.
Extracellular Vesicles Containing circMYBL1 Induce CD44 in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Cells and Pulmonary Endothelial Cells to Promote Lung Metastasis
Authors: Fu Min , Gao Qian , Xiao Mian , Li Rui-Feng , Sun Xin-Yi , Li Sheng-Lin , Peng Xin , Ge Xi-Yuan 
Published: April 2024

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignant epithelial neoplasm that arises in secretory glands and commonly metastasizes to the lungs. MYBL1 is frequently overexpressed in ACC and has been suggested to be a driver of the disease. In this study, we identified a circular RNA (circRNA) derived from MYBL1 pre-mRNA that was accompanied by the overexpression of MYBL1 in ACC. Overexpression of circMYBL1 was correlated with increased lung metastasis and poor overall survival in patients with ACC. Ectopic circMYBL1 overexpression promoted malignant phenotypes and lung metastasis of ACC cells. Mechanistically, circMYBL1 formed a circRNA–protein complex with CCAAT enhancer–binding protein β (CEBPB), which inhibited ubiquitin-mediated degradation and promoted nuclear translocation of CEBPB. In the nucleus, circMYBL1 increased the binding of CEBPB to the CD44 promoter region and enhanced its transcription. In addition, circMYBL1 was enriched in small extracellular vesicles (sEV) isolated from the plasma of patients with ACC. Treatment with sEVs containing circMYBL1 in sEVs enhanced prometastatic phenotypes of ACC cells, elevated the expression of CD44 in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMEC), and enhanced the adhesion between HPMECs and ACC cells. Moreover, circMYBL1 encapsulated in sEVs increased the arrest of circulating ACC cells in the lung and enhanced lung metastatic burden. These data suggest that circMYBL1 is a tumor-promoting circRNA that could serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ACC.
Significance: circMYBL1 stabilizes CEBPB and upregulates CD44 to promote adhesion between cancer cells and endothelial cells and enables lung metastasis of adenoid cystic carcinoma, suggesting that inhibition of this axis could improve patient outcomes.