bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Methamphetamine-Induced Alterations of Vaginal Blood Flow in Rats
Authors: Mott M , Goeders N 
Published: July 2022

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Those suffering with vaginal dryness, whether experienced once or chronically, frequently experience painful and unpleasurable sexual experiences and diminished self-esteem as a result. Although the physiology of vaginal transudate production is long established, no pharmacological treatment other than estrogen has shown promise in attenuating vaginal dryness. Previously, our lab has shown that methamphetamine (meth) induced vaginal lubrication in adult women and anesthetized rats. The production of these vaginal secretions was shown to be dose-, as well as nitric oxide-dependent. As the secretion of vaginal lubrication is immensely dependent on local hemodynamics and the resulting increased blood flow to the genital tissues, determining meth-induced alterations in blood flow to these tissues is paramount.

Objective
The purpose of the current study is to determine if increased vaginal blood flow correlates with increased vaginal lubrication in response to meth, and to determine if alterations in this blood flow are nitric oxide-dependent.

Methods
Adult female Wistar rats were implanted with chronic indwelling jugular catheters and allowed at least one week to recover from surgery. Rats anesthetized with isoflurane gas were intravenously infused with meth (0.06-0.96 mg/kg) or saline via the implanted catheter. Vaginal blood flow, measured using a Periflux System 5000 and a small laser probe inserted 5-10 mm into the vaginal canal, was continuously recorded before and for at least twenty minutes following drug administration. After establishing meth-induced alterations in vaginal blood flow, pre-treatment with L-NG-Nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a non-specific nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, followed by meth administration following the same procedure for measuring blood flow allowed us to determine the contribution of nitric oxide to the observed changes in blood flow.

Results
Preliminary findings show that an IV infusion of meth induces an immediate increase in vaginal blood flow, followed by decreased blood flow due to vasoconstriction via increased sympathetic tone. We anticipate inhibition of nitric oxide production will reduce the increase in blood flow immediately after meth administration since this decreased vaginal lubrication in response to the same treatment.

Conclusions
These findings provide insight into the meth-induced vaginal lubrication we have previously reported, and that meth, whose sympathomimetic action traditionally induces vasoconstriction, produces increased blood flow in vaginal tissues, which is likely the driving force for the increased transudate produced. This advancement is critical for uncovering a mechanism that may serve as the optimal pharmacological target to treat vaginal dryness.

Disclosure
Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Embera NeuroTherapeutics & JanOne
Female Genitalia in Pornography: The Source of Labiaplasty Trends?
Authors: Dubinskaya A , Dallas K , Eilber K , Scott V , Anger J 
Published: July 2022

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Trends in appearance of female genitalia has been influenced by social media, entertainment industry, and even politics. Cosmetic labiaplasty has increased by 56% over the last decade. Wide availability and accessibility of pornography is another source where women and men learn about the anticipated normal appearance of the genitals.

Objective
The purpose of this review is to evaluate the current trends in appearance of female genitalia based on the most viewed pornography videos. We hypothesized that pornography may influence such trends in labiaplasty.

Methods
After panel of experts agreed on definitions and classifications of the different genital parts and beautification trends, we reviewed videos from the category “most viewed videos” on the most popular free pornography websites. We analyzed common representations of female genital appearance, including hair grooming (completely shaved, trimmed, natural), hyperpigmentation (natural with hyperpigmented perianal and labial skin vs. bleached with equal hyperpigmentation throughout), appearance of labia majora (thickness, length), appearance of labia minora (presence and length compared to the labia majora), clitoral hood appearance (status post clitoral hood reduction), and width of the genital hiatus.

Results
We reviewed the 25 most viewed videos from the five most popular free pornography websites. Among females and males, complete shaving of the pubic hair was the most common pattern, 56% (14) and 52% (13) respectively, followed by the trimmed pubic hair equally among both genders 40% (10). Only 8% of videos demonstrated labia majora resembling pre-pubertal (surgically enhanced) appearance. 44% of women had labia minora larger than labia majora, 36% had them at equal length, and 16% showed no labia minora. We did not see any dangling labia. 92% of videos demonstrated a normal appearing clitoral hood with no signs of surgical reduction. Bleaching or removal of natural hyperpigmentation was noted in 20% of videos. Wide genital hiatus consistent with vaginal delivery was identified in 16% of videos. No signs of pelvic organ prolapse, piercings, or other abnormalities were noted.

Conclusions
We found that the most popular pornography videos had a range of genital appearances. Pornogaphy definitely influenced hair grooming pattern. The most viewed videos on the most popular pornography sites may create expectations for both genders on the genital appearance of a partner.

Disclosure
No
Azoles May Target Underlying Mechanism(s) of Localized Provoked Vulvodynia
Authors: Flores B , Falsetta M 
Published: July 2022

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Vulvodynia is a crippling disease that drastically reduces the quality of life in women. Chronic, otherwise unexplained pain localized to the vulvar vestibule is the identifying symptom associated with this disease, in which pain lasts greater than three months, often significantly longer, on the order of years. Vulvodynia is difficult to diagnose and assess, let alone deliver adequate treatment due to the disease being poorly understood. We have evidence that suggests the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) family of enzymes is involved in the vulvodynia mechanism and may represent a new therapeutic target.

Objective
Our goal is to identify underlying mechanisms of disease in vulvodynia to develop improved therapeutic strategies. For this investigation, we focused on CYP450 and specifically aimed to narrow down the list of possible enzymes within this nearly 50 member family that might relieve vulvar pain if targeted.

Methods
We used a validated primary human fibroblast culture system where each woman serves as her own control. In this model, fibroblasts are cultured from affected and unaffected sites in patients. In addition, fibroblasts are cultured from the same sites in women without the disease. Pro-inflammatory mediator production, specifically prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are surrogate measures of pain, which we measured via ELISA assays. We evaluated the role of CYP450 in vulvar pain by antagonizing specific family members to (1) determine if CYP450 is a reasonable target for therapeutic intervention, (2) pinpoint family members of interest, and (3) evaluate if azoles used to treat vulvovaginal yeast infection, which are known to target CYP450, would have therapeutic effect for vulvodynia.

Results
We found that azoles commonly used to treat vulvovaginal yeast infection (e.g. miconazole and terconazole) reduced pro-inflammatory mediator production in fibroblasts. Miconazole and terconazole target a similar group of CYPs, suggesting that CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4, and CYP3A7 may be involved in the vulvodynia mechanism. Global inhibition of the CYP family with 1-aminobenzotriazole also reduced pro-inflammatory mediator production, which may mean that targeting any one CYP or group of CYPs could be effective. This is potentially promising information as it could mean that any azole approved for vulvovaginal use would address vulvodynia symptoms. We are currently investigating this possibility.

Conclusions
As we uncover additional pieces of the vulvodynia mechanism, we identify new avenues for improved patient care. Based on published clinical data and our in vitro findings, azoles may have a role in treating vulvodynia.

Disclosure
No
TranZap: An App for Transgender Folks Seeking Gender Affirming Healthcare Providers
Authors: Chiang T , Bachmann G 
Published: July 2022

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Many transgender individuals seeking healthcare have had at least one negative experience related to being transgender. These experiences included verbal harassment, refusal of treatment, or having to teach Healthcare Providers (HCPs) about transgender people to receive appropriate care. As a result, trans patients may forego seeking healthcare treatment at all or will seek non-traditional healthcare services elsewhere, leading to adverse long-term health outcomes.

Objective
We sought to build a transgender health app, TranZap, to empower transgender individuals who are seeking healthcare to be more informed and knowledgeable regarding available gender-affirming HCPs.

Methods
A prototype of TranZap, a web-based app, was created using Figma. Functions of the app were determined by crowdsourcing input via Instagram from transgender individuals, and those functions were finalized using feedback from HCPs at RWJMS that work with transgender patients. Bootstrap, Python, and Django were used for front-end, back-end, and database development respectively. Advertisement was launched via Instagram.

Results
TranZap is currently undergoing alpha testing and modifications are being made to the app's functions. Advertising has started and TranZap has amassed 224 followers on Instagram.

Conclusions
Once alpha testing is complete, beta testing will commence in partnership with a transgender support group. We anticipate ∼200 people to beta test TranZap. When the app is publicly released, metrics of success will be the total number of people who open the app, how many people search for HCPs, and how many cumulative reviews are written. The anticipated launch is the beginning of January 2022.

Disclosure
No
Religion and Moral Judgments of HIV-related Sexual Behaviors
Authors: Crosby C , Jain N , Mujeres S , Kilcrease A , Browman K , Meston C 
Published: July 2022

ABSTRACT

Introduction
The percentage of individuals diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases yearly, and occurs at disproportionate rates. Previous research suggests that religion may be an important coping mechanism for individuals with HIV, who have lost loved ones to HIV, or who have engaged in risky sexual behaviors (e.g., Pargament et al., 2004). However, research examining the impact that religion has on an individual's moral judgment of engaging in HIV-related sexual behaviors remains unclear.

Objective
To examine the impact of religious beliefs, identity, and practices on women's moral judgements towards scenarios involving potential HIV transmission.

Methods
Women (N = 578) were asked to indicate their moral judgments towards three items separately for male and female actors: (1) having sex with someone who discloses that they have HIV and using condoms; (2) having sex with someone who discloses that they have HIV and not using condoms; and (3) getting diagnosed with HIV and not telling new sex partners.

Results
Multiple regression analysis revealed that the more women listened to religious music and participated in behaviors during religious services (e.g., reading scriptures), the more morally wrong they viewed male actors for having sex with someone who discloses that they have HIV and not using condoms. Further, the more women believed in souls, the more morally wrong they viewed male and female actors for getting diagnosed with HIV and not telling new sex partners. These associations held when controlling for important confounds such as age and relationship status.

Conclusions
The results of this study provide further understanding about the relevance of religion on individual's’ perceptions of sexual behavior. Because religious individuals tend to be interested in long-term, highly reproductive lifestyles (e.g., Hone et al., 2021), they may view a host of sexual behaviors-including HIV-related behaviors-as morally wrong as they associate them with promiscuity. Discussion focuses on how an evolutionary perspective of religion may provide insight into aspects of women's moral judgments of sexual behaviors that have yet to be systematically explored.

Disclosure
No
Maintenance of intervention effects: long-term outcomes for participants in a group talk-therapy trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Bass Judith K. , Murray Sarah M. , Lakin Daniel P. , Kaysen Debra , Annan Jeannie , Matabaro Amani , Bolton Paul A. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundDespite the growth of psychotherapy trials in low- and middle-income countries, there have been limited follow-up studies of more than 2 years. This study follows up female sexual violence survivors approximately 6 years after completing a 12-session group cognitive processing therapy (CPT) program in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.MethodsBaseline trial data were collected in December 2010 from 134 women in 7 study villages randomly allocated to CPT. Study women were over 18 years, reported personally experiencing or witnessing sexual violence, and reported elevated depression, anxiety and/or posttraumatic stress symptoms. Women were followed up (1) post-treatment (6-months after baseline); (2) 6 months later; (3) 12 months later; and (4) in March 2017 (6.3 years after baseline). At the long-term follow-up, 103 women (77%) in 6 of 7 CPT villages were re-assessed; one village was not visited due to ongoing insecurity.ResultsWe found strong continued intervention effects; nearly all women maintained treatment impacts over the first two years; at long-term follow-up, approximately half continued to maintain low symptom scores. Relapse rates for probable PTSD and probable depression and anxiety were 20%.ConclusionsThis study extends prior research to show that treatment impacts can be maintained for several years despite experiences of ongoing trauma. The women described continuing to meet with the women in their therapy group and using the skills they learned in the psychotherapy, providing evidence of the potential for these programs to provide valuable social supports and skills that people use as they continue to face adversity.
Reproductive success of Antillean manatees released in Brazil: implications for conservation
Authors: Attademo Fernanda Loffler Niemeyer , Normande Iran Campello , Sousa Glaucia Pereira , Costa Alexandra Fernandes , Borges João Carlos Gomes , de Alencar Ana Emília Barbosa , Foppel Ernesto Frederico da Costa , Luna Fábia de Oliveira 
Published: July 2022

AbstractActions to rescue, rehabilitate and release calves of manatees are the main initiatives and strategies for conservation of the species in Brazil. The survival rate of animals in a natural environment and the reproductive success, identified by birth records, are some of the indicators used to estimate the release success for manatees. This study evaluated the effectiveness of releases of West Indian manatees based on the reproductive success of rescued animals that were released back into the wild in Brazil. Twenty-two female manatees were released in the states of Alagoas (into an extinct area) and Paraíba (into an existent population) from 1994–2020. Six females gave birth to 13 calves, all in Alagoas State. The average age of the first calving event was 11.7 (±1.49) years and 8.0 (±1.41) years after release. Among the females that had more than one calving, the average was 3.6 (±1.18) years between each calving. All calves observed were born alive; nevertheless, three (23.1%) died a few weeks after birth. In general, females rehabilitated in captivity and released in the wild were able to reproduce, especially in protected areas. This study emphasizes the need to intensify actions for the conservation of manatees and their habitats in order to achieve healthier wild populations.
Pre-COVID brain functional connectome features prospectively predict emergence of distress symptoms after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Pan Nanfang , Qin Kun , Yu Yifan , Long Yajing , Zhang Xun , He Min , Suo Xueling , Zhang Shufang , Sweeney John A. , Wang Song , Gong Qiyong 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundPersistent psychological distress associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been well documented. This study aimed to identify pre-COVID brain functional connectome that predicts pandemic-related distress symptoms among young adults.MethodsBaseline neuroimaging studies and assessment of general distress using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were performed with 100 healthy individuals prior to wide recognition of the health risks associated with the emergence of COVID-19. They were recontacted for the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist in the period of community-level outbreaks, and for follow-up distress evaluation again 1 year later. We employed the network-based statistic approach to identify connectome that predicted the increase of distress based on 136-region-parcellation with assigned network membership. Predictive performance of connectome features and causal relations were examined by cross-validation and mediation analyses.ResultsThe connectome features that predicted emergence of distress after COVID contained 70 neural connections. Most within-network connections were located in the default mode network (DMN), and affective network-DMN and dorsal attention network-DMN links largely constituted between-network pairs. The hippocampus emerged as the most critical hub region. Predictive models of the connectome remained robust in cross-validation. Mediation analyses demonstrated that COVID-related posttraumatic stress partially explained the correlation of connectome to the development of general distress.ConclusionsBrain functional connectome may fingerprint individuals with vulnerability to psychological distress associated with the COVID pandemic. Individuals with brain neuromarkers may benefit from the corresponding interventions to reduce the risk or severity of distress related to fear of COVID-related challenges.
Depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK
Authors: Young K. S. , Purves K. L. , Hübel C. , Davies M. R. , Thompson K. N. , Bristow S. , Krebs G. , Danese A. , Hirsch C. , Parsons C. E. , Vassos E. , Adey B. N. , Bright S. , Hegemann L. , Lee Y. T. , Kalsi G. , Monssen D. , Mundy J. , Peel A. J. , Rayner C. , Rogers H. C. , ter Kuile A. , Ward C. , York K. , Lin Y. , Palmos A. B. , Schmidt U. , Veale D. , Nicholson T. R. , Pollak T. A. , Stevelink S. A. M. , Moukhtarian T. , Martineau A. R. , Holt H. , Maughan B. , Al-Chalabi A. , Chaudhuri K. Ray , Richardson M. P. , Bradley J. R. , Chinnery P. F. , Kingston N. , Papadia S. , Stirrups K. E. , Linger R. , Hotopf M. , Eley T. C. , Breen G. 
Published: July 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on mental health is still being unravelled. It is important to identify which individuals are at greatest risk of worsening symptoms. This study aimed to examine changes in depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms using prospective and retrospective symptom change assessments, and to find and examine the effect of key risk factors.MethodOnline questionnaires were administered to 34 465 individuals (aged 16 years or above) in April/May 2020 in the UK, recruited from existing cohorts or via social media. Around one-third (n = 12 718) of included participants had prior diagnoses of depression or anxiety and had completed pre-pandemic mental health assessments (between September 2018 and February 2020), allowing prospective investigation of symptom change.ResultsProspective symptom analyses showed small decreases in depression (PHQ-9: −0.43 points) and anxiety [generalised anxiety disorder scale – 7 items (GAD)-7: −0.33 points] and increases in PTSD (PCL-6: 0.22 points). Conversely, retrospective symptom analyses demonstrated significant large increases (PHQ-9: 2.40; GAD-7 = 1.97), with 55% reported worsening mental health since the beginning of the pandemic on a global change rating. Across both prospective and retrospective measures of symptom change, worsening depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms were associated with prior mental health diagnoses, female gender, young age and unemployed/student status.ConclusionsWe highlight the effect of prior mental health diagnoses on worsening mental health during the pandemic and confirm previously reported sociodemographic risk factors. Discrepancies between prospective and retrospective measures of changes in mental health may be related to recall bias-related underestimation of prior symptom severity.
EHDC: enhanced dilated convolution framework for underwater blurred target recognition
Authors: Cai Lei , Qin Xiaochen , Xu Tao 
Published: July 2022

AbstractThe autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has a problem with feature loss when recognizing small targets underwater. At present, algorithms usually use multi-scale feature extraction to solve the problem, but this method increases the computational effort of the algorithm. In addition, low underwater light and turbid water result in incomplete information on target features. This paper proposes an enhanced dilated convolution framework (EHDC) for underwater blurred target recognition. Firstly, this paper extracts small target features through hybrid dilated convolution networks, increasing the perceptive field of the algorithm without increasing the computational power of the algorithm. Secondly, the proposed algorithm learns spatial semantic features through an adaptive correlation matrix and compensates for the missing features of the target. Finally, this paper fuses spatial semantic features and visual features for the recognition of small underwater blurred targets. Experiments show that the proposed method improves the recognition accuracy by 1.04% compared to existing methods when recognizing small underwater blurred targets.