rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
Clinical Practice: Should we Radically Alter our Sedation of Critical Care Patients, Especially Given the COVID-19 Pandemics?
Romanian journal of anaesthesia and intensive care, 2020

The high number of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus requiring care for ARDS puts sedation in the critical care unit (CCU) to the edge. Depth of sedation has evolved over the last 40 years (no-sedation, deep sedation, daily emergence, minimal sedation, etc.). Most guidelines now recommend determining the depth of sedation and minimizing the use of benzodiazepines and opioids. The broader use of alpha-2 adrenergic agonists ('alpha-2 agonists') led to sedation regimens beginning at admission to the CCU that contrast with hypnotics+opioids ("conventional" sedation), with major consequences for cognition, ventilation and circulatory performance. The same doses of alpha-2 agonists used for 'cooperative' sedation (ataraxia, analgognosia) elicit no respiratory depression but modify the autonomic nervous system (cardiac parasympathetic activation, attenuation of excessive cardiac and vasomotor sympathetic activity). Alpha-2 agonists should be selected only in patients who benefit from their effects ('personalized' indications, as opposed to a 'one size fits all' approach). Then, titration to effect is required, especially in the setting of systemic hypotension and/or hypovolemia. Since no general guidelines exist for the use of alpha-2 agonists for CCU sedation, our clinical experience is summarized for the benefit of physicians in clinical situations in which a recommendation might never exist (refractory delirium tremens; unstable, hypovolemic, hypotensive patients, etc.). Because the physiology of alpha-2 receptors and the pharmacology of alpha-2 agonists lead to personalized indications, some details are offered. Since interactions between conventional sedatives and alpha-2 agonists have received little attention, these interactions are addressed. Within the existing guidelines for CCU sedation, this article could facilitate the use of alpha-2 agonists as effective and safe sedation while awaiting large, multicentre trials and more evidence-based medicine.
Tracing Autism Traits in Large Multiplex Families to Identify Endophenotypes of the Broader Autism Phenotype.
International journal of molecular sciences, 2020

Families comprising many individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may carry a dominant predisposing mutation. We implemented rigorous phenotyping of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (BAP) in large multiplex ASD families using a novel endophenotype approach for the identification and characterisation of distinct BAP endophenotypes. We evaluated ASD/BAP features using standardised tests and a semi-structured interview to assess social, intellectual, executive and adaptive functioning in 110 individuals, including two large multiplex families (Family A: 30; Family B: 35) and an independent sample of small families (
Data of the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ) administered to a sample of immigrants in Genoa (Italy).
Data in brief, 2017

This article reports the data of the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ) administered to a sample of 143 immigrants accessing an outpatient clinic or the general practitioners offices in Genoa (Italy) compared with 186 Italian patients. For further details and for the interpretation of the data, the reader is referred to the original publication "Somatic perception, cultural differences and immigration: results from administration of the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ) to a sample of immigrants" by Bragazzi et al. (2014) [1].
Rhomboencephalitis.
Practical neurology, 2020

Rhomboencephalitis-inflammation of the brainstem and cerebellum-has myriad clinical presentations including encephalopathy, cranial neuropathies, long tract signs and cerebellar dysfunction and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There are a variety of potential underlying causes that respond variably to treatment, including infections, parainfective syndromes, inflammatory disorders including autoimmune encephalitis and paraneoplastic syndromes. Here, we review its clinical presentation and outline a practical approach to its investigation, aiming to facilitate prompt diagnosis and confirmation of the underlying cause, to start appropriate management early and optimise the clinical outcome.
Designing and Fabricating Nano-structured and Micro-structured Radiation Shields for Protection against CBCT Exposure.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland), 2020

Researchers have always been interested in finding new and effective materials for protection against radiation. This experimental study aimed to design and fabricate new types of nano-material and micro-material based shields against the ionizing effect of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) X-rays. To fabricate a flexible prototype, we added dioctyl phthalate (DOP) oil to emulsion polyvinyl chloride (PVC) powder. The paste was mixed and dispersed. Then, nano- and micro-powders of WO
Adenosine A
International journal of molecular sciences, 2021

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia seen in clinical practice. While some clinical parameters may predict the transition from paroxysmal to persistent AF, the molecular mechanisms behind the AF perpetuation are poorly understood. Thus, oxidative stress, calcium overload and inflammation, among others, are believed to be involved in AF-induced atrial remodelling. Interestingly, adenosine and its receptors have also been related to AF development and perpetuation. Here, we investigated the expression of adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) both in right atrium biopsies and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from non-dilated sinus rhythm (ndSR), dilated sinus rhythm (dSR) and AF patients. In addition, plasma adenosine content and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in these subjects were also determined. Our results revealed increased A2AR expression in the right atrium from AF patients, as previously described. Interestingly, increased levels of adenosine content and reduced ADA activity in plasma from AF patients were detected. An increase was observed when A2AR expression was assessed in PBMCs from AF subjects. Importantly, a positive correlation (P=0.001) between A2AR expression in the right atrium and PBMCs was observed. Overall, these results highlight the importance of the A2AR in AF and suggest that the evaluation of this receptor in PBMCs may be potentially be useful in monitoring disease severity and the efficacy of pharmacological treatments in AF patients.
New approaches to quantify social development in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Integrating eye tracking with traditional assessments of social behavior.
Developmental psychobiology, 2020

The nonhuman primate provides a sophisticated animal model system both to explore neurobiological mechanisms underlying complex behaviors and to facilitate preclinical research for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disease. A better understanding of evolutionarily conserved behaviors and brain processes between humans and nonhuman primates will be needed to successfully apply recently released NIMH guidelines (NOT-MH-19-053) for conducting rigorous nonhuman primate neurobehavioral research. Here, we explore the relationship between two measures of social behavior that can be used in both humans and nonhuman primates-traditional observations of social interactions with conspecifics and eye gaze detection in response to social stimuli. Infant male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) serving as controls (N = 14) for an ongoing study were observed in their social rearing groups and participated in a noninvasive, longitudinal eye-tracking study. We found significant positive relationships between time spent viewing eyes of faces in an eye tracker and number of initiations made for social interactions with peers that is consistent with similar observations in human populations. Although future studies are needed to determine if this relationship represents species-typical social developmental processes, these preliminary results provide a novel framework to explore the relationship between social interactions and social attention in nonhuman primate models for neurobehavioral development.
Atrial fibrillation: villain or bystander in vascular brain injury.
European heart journal supplements : journal of the European Society of Cardiology, 2020

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke are inextricably connected, with classical Virchow pathophysiology explaining thromboembolism through blood stasis in the fibrillating left atrium. This conceptualization has been reinforced by the remarkable efficacy of oral anticoagulant (OAC) for stroke prevention in AF. A number of observations showing that the presence of AF is neither necessary nor sufficient for stroke, cast doubt on the causal role of AF as a villain in vascular brain injury (VBI). The requirement for additional risk factors before AF increases stroke risk; temporal disconnect of AF from a stroke in patients with no AF for months before stroke during continuous ECG monitoring but manifesting AF only after stroke; and increasing recognition of the role of atrial cardiomyopathy and atrial substrate in AF-related stroke, and also stroke without AF, have led to rethinking the pathogenetic model of cardioembolic stroke. This is quite separate from recognition that in AF, shared cardiovascular risk factors can lead both to non-embolic stroke, or emboli from the aorta and carotid arteries. Meanwhile, VBI is now expanded to include dementia and cognitive decline: research is required to see if reduced by OAC. A changed conceptual model with less focus on the arrhythmia, and more on atrial substrate/cardiomyopathy causing VBI both in the presence or absence of AF, is required to allow us to better prevent AF-related VBI. It could direct focus towards prevention of the atrial cardiomyopathy though much work is required to better define this entity before the balance between AF as villain or bystander can be determined.
Fearful face scrambles increase early visual sensory processing in the absence of face information.
The European journal of neuroscience, 2021

Emotional facial expressions elicit distinct increased early electrophysiological responses. Many studies report even emotional modulations of very early sensory processing at about 80 and 100 ms after stimulus presentation, indexed by the P1. These early effects are often interpreted to index differential responses to biologically relevant expressions. Since specific spatial frequencies differ between fearful and neutral expressions, it has recently been suggested that these early modulations are substantially driven by such low-level visual differences. However, it remains unclear whether similar P1 effects are also observed in experiments in which no recognizable face information is presented at all. This study investigated this question and explored also whether any effects depend on colour information and attentional conditions. Participants (N = 20) performed a continuous perceptual task of low or high difficultly and were presented with task-irrelevant black/white and colour images of fearful and neutral faces, rendered unrecognizable by doing Fourier phase transformation. ERP findings revealed increased P1 amplitudes for fearful scrambles regardless of experimental conditions. Taken together, our findings show early emotional effects in the absence of any facial expression. Specific low-level frequency information seems to increase P1 amplitudes which thus might have implications for the interpretation of very early sensory emotional expression effects.
Effect of early prophylactic low-dose recombinant human erythropoietin on retinopathy of prematurity in very preterm infants.
Journal of translational medicine, 2020

Very preterm infants are at risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) is routinely used to prevent anemia in preterm infants; however, the effect of rhEPO on ROP development is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of early prophylactic low-dose rhEPO administration on ROP development in very preterm infants.
Breed Differences in Dog Cognition Associated with Brain-Expressed Genes and Neurological Functions.
Integrative and comparative biology, 2020

Given their remarkable phenotypic diversity, dogs present a unique opportunity for investigating the genetic bases of cognitive and behavioral traits. Our previous work demonstrated that genetic relatedness among breeds accounts for a substantial portion of variation in dog cognition. Here, we investigated the genetic architecture of breed differences in cognition, seeking to identify genes that contribute to variation in cognitive phenotypes. To do so, we combined cognitive data from the citizen science project Dognition.com with published breed-average genetic polymorphism data, resulting in a dataset of 1654 individuals with cognitive phenotypes representing 49 breeds. We conducted a breed-average genome-wide association study to identify specific polymorphisms associated with breed differences in inhibitory control, communication, memory, and physical reasoning. We found five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that reached genome-wide significance after Bonferroni correction, located in EML1, OR52E2, HS3ST5, a U6 spliceosomal RNA, and a long noncoding RNA. When we combined results across multiple SNPs within the same gene, we identified 188 genes implicated in breed differences in cognition. This gene set included more genes than expected by chance that were (1) differentially expressed in brain tissue and (2) involved in nervous system functions including peripheral nervous system development, Wnt signaling, presynapse assembly, and synaptic vesicle exocytosis. These results advance our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of complex cognitive phenotypes and identify specific genetic variants for further research.
The foundations of visual neuroscience in Australia.
The Journal of comparative neurology, 2020

The passing of Jack Pettigrew (University of Queensland) and Bogdan Dreher (University of Sydney) within 2 weeks of each other in May 2019 provided the catalyst for documenting the roles that they and their colleagues from the Peter Bishop School played in establishing vision research as a major strength in Australian neuroscience in the second half of the 20th century.
Change in expression of vesicular protein synapsin II by chronic treatment with D2 allosteric modulator PAOPA.
Peptides, 2015

The hallmark symptoms of schizophrenia include profound disturbances in thought, perception, cognition etc., which negatively impacts an individual's quality of life. Current antipsychotic drugs are not effective in treating all symptoms of this disorder, and often cause severe movement and metabolic side effects. Consequently, there remains a strong impetus to develop safer and more efficacious therapeutics for patients, as well as elucidating the etiology of schizophrenia. Previous work in our lab has introduced a novel candidate for the treatment of this disease: the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) allosteric modulator, 3(R)-[(2(S)-pyrrolidinylcarbonyl)amino]-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide (PAOPA). We have previously shown that PAOPA, by selectively modulating D2R, can ameliorate schizophrenia-like symptoms in animal models, although the precise mechanism is presently not understood. Synapsin II is a presynaptic vesicular protein which has been strongly implicated in schizophrenia, as it is reduced in the prefrontal cortex of patients, and knockdown of this protein elicits schizophrenia-like phenotypes in animal models. Given the therapeutic effects of PAOPA and the role of synapsin II in schizophrenia, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic administration of PAOPA (45 days) on neuronal synapsin II protein expression in rodents. Immunoblot results revealed that the synapsin IIa, but not the IIb isoform, was increased in the dopaminergic regions of the striatum, nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex. The results of this study implicate a role for modulation of synapsin II as a possible therapeutic mechanism of action for potential antipsychotic drug PAOPA.
Grad-CAM helps interpret the deep learning models trained to classify multiple sclerosis types using clinical brain magnetic resonance imaging.
Journal of neuroscience methods, 2021

Deep learning using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has shown great promise in advancing neuroscience research. However, the ability to interpret the CNNs lags far behind, confounding their clinical translation.
Integrated Care in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 2020

Quality of life in Parkinson's disease (PD) is affected by motor and nonmotor symptoms, necessitating an integrated care approach. Existing care models vary considerably in numerous domains. The objectives of this study were to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of PD integrated care models and develop recommendations for a representative model.
Workforce Diversity in Eating Disorders: A Multi-Methods Study.
Western journal of nursing research, 2020

Despite growing recognition of the importance of workforce diversity in health care, limited research has explored diversity among eating disorder (ED) professionals globally. This multi-methods study examined diversity across demographic and professional variables. Participants were recruited from ED and discipline-specific professional organizations. Participants' (n = 512) mean age was 41.1 years (SD = 12.5); 89.6% (n=459) of participants identified as women, 84.1% (n = 419) as heterosexual/straight, and 73.0% (n = 365) as White. Mean years working in EDs was 10.7 years (SD = 9.2). Qualitative analysis revealed three themes resulting in a theoretical framework to address barriers to increasing diversity. Perceived barriers were the following: "stigma, bias, stereotypes, myths"; "field of eating disorders pipeline"; and "homogeneity of the existing field." Findings suggest limited workforce diversity within and across nations. The theoretical model suggests a need for focused attention to the educational pipeline, workforce homogeneity, and false assumptions about EDs, and it should be tested to evaluate its utility within the EDs field.
Sex differences in vulnerability to addiction.
Neuropharmacology, 2021

This article reviews evidence for sex differences in vulnerability to addiction with an emphasis on the neural mechanisms underlying these differences. Sex differences in the way that the gonadal hormone, estradiol, interacts with the ascending telencephalic dopamine system results in sex differences in motivated behaviors, including drug-seeking. In rodents, repeated psychostimulant exposure enhances incentive sensitization to a greater extent in females than males. Estradiol increases females' motivation to attain psychostimulants and enhances the value of drug related cues, which ultimately increases their susceptibility towards spontaneous relapse. This, along with females' dampened ability to alter decisions regarding risky behaviors, enhances their vulnerability for escalation of drug use. In males, recent evidence suggests that estradiol may be protective against susceptibility towards drug-preference. Sex differences in the actions of estradiol are reviewed to provide a foundation for understanding how future research might enhance understanding of the mechanisms of sex differences in addiction-related behaviors, which are dependent on estradiol receptor (ER) subtype and the region of the brain they are acting in. A comprehensive review of the distribution of ERα, ERβ, and GPER1 throughout the rodent brain are provided along with a discussion of the possible ways in which these patterns differentially regulate drug-taking between the sexes. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the actions of gonadal hormones on the circuitry of the stress system, including the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis and regulation of corticotropin-releasing factor. Sex differences in the stress system can also contribute to females' enhanced vulnerability towards addiction.
Exposure to reversine affects the chondrocyte morphology and phenotype in vitro.
Journal of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, 2018

Articular chondrocytes derived from osteoarthritic tissues (OA HAC) show a severely reduced chondrogenic commitment. This impairment undermines their use for tissue-engineered cartilage repair, which relies on cell proliferation and growth to meet therapeutic needs, but also on efficient cell plasticity to recover the chondrogenic phenotype. Reversine (Rev), a 2,6-disubstituted purine inhibitor of spindle-assembly checkpoints, was described to convert differentiated mesenchymal cells to their undifferentiated precursors. We hypothesized that Rev exposure could divert OA HAC to more plastic cells, re-boosting their subsequent commitment. HAC were enzymatically released from OA cartilage specimens, expanded for 2 weeks and treated with 5 μm Rev in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) or with DMSO alone for 6 days. Cell growth was assessed using the AlamarBlue
The utility of the single-subject method for comparison of temporal-spatial gait changes between a microprocessor and non-microprocessor prosthetic knees.
Prosthetics and orthotics international, 2020

Despite increasing knowledge about the potential benefits of advanced user-controlled technology, the decision about switching an individual prosthesis user from a non-microprocessor prosthetic knee to a microprocessor prosthetic knee is mainly based on clinician's experience rather than empirical evidence.
Functional Imaging of Dentate Granule Cells in the Adult Mouse Hippocampus.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2016

The hippocampal dentate gyrus is critically involved in learning and memory. However, methods for imaging the activity of its principal neurons, the dentate gyrus granule cells, are missing. Here we demonstrate chronic two-photon imaging of granule cell population activity in awake mice using a cortical window implant that leaves the hippocampal formation intact and does not lead to obvious alteration of animal behavior. Using virus delivery, we targeted expression of genetically encoded calcium indicators specifically to dentate gyrus granule cells. Calcium imaging of granule cell activity 600-800 μm below the hippocampal surface was facilitated by using 1040 nm excitation of the red indicator R-CaMP1.07, but was also achieved using the green indicator GCaMP6s. We found that the rate of calcium transients was increased during wakefulness relative to an extremely low rate during anesthesia; however, activity still remained sparse with, on average, approximately one event per 2-5 min per cell across the granule cell population. Comparing periods of running on a ladder wheel and periods of resting, we furthermore identified state-dependent differences in the active granule cell population, with some cells displaying highest activity level during running and others during resting. Typically, cells did not maintain a clear state preference in their activity pattern across days. Our approach opens new avenues to elucidate granule cell function, plasticity mechanisms, and network computation in the adult dentate gyrus.