Exploring Self-Reported Symptoms for Developing and Evaluating Digital Symptom Checkers for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis, and Uterine Fibroids: Exploratory Survey Study.

Background: Reproductive health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and uterine fibroids pose a significant burden to people who menstruate, health care systems, and economies. Despite clinical guidelines for each condition, prolonged delays in diagnosis are commonplace, resulting in an increase to health care costs and risk of health complications. Symptom checker apps have the potential to significantly reduce time to diagnosis by providing users with health information and tools to better understand their symptoms.

Late-life protein or isoleucine restriction impacts physiological and molecular signatures of aging.

Restricting the intake of protein or the branched-chain amino acid isoleucine promotes healthspan and extends lifespan in young or adult mice. However, their effects when initiated in aged animals are unknown. Here we investigate the consequences of consuming a diet with 67% reduction of all amino acids (low AA) or of isoleucine alone (low Ile), in male and female C57BL/6J.

Differential changes in expression of inflammatory mRNA and protein after oleic acid-induced acute lung injury.

Acute Respiratory Distress syndrome (ARDS) is a clinical syndrome of noncardiac pulmonary edema and inflammation leading to acute respiratory failure. We used the oleic acid infusion pig model of ARDS resembling human disease to explore cytokine changes in white blood cells (WBC) and plasma proteins, comparing baseline to ARDS values. Nineteen juvenile female swine were included in the study.

Indirect cardiac output assessment in a swine pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome model.

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between volume of carbon dioxide elimination (V̇CO) and end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO) with cardiac output (CO) in a swine pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) model.

Methods: Respiratory and hemodynamic variables were collected from twenty-six mechanically ventilated juvenile pigs under general anesthesia before and after inducing ARDS, using oleic acid infusion.

Results: Prior to ARDS induction, mean (SD) CO, V̇CO, PETCO, and dead space to tidal volume ratio (V/V) were 4.

Late-life isoleucine restriction promotes physiological and molecular signatures of healthy aging.

In defiance of the paradigm that calories from all sources are equivalent, we and others have shown that dietary protein is a dominant regulator of healthy aging. The restriction of protein or the branched-chain amino acid isoleucine promotes healthspan and extends lifespan when initiated in young or adult mice. However, many interventions are less efficacious or even deleterious when initiated in aged animals.

Long-term in vivo operation of implanted cardiac nanogenerators in swine.

Implantable nanogenerators (i-NG) provide power to cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) by harvesting biomechanical energy locally eliminating the need for batteries. However, its long-term operation and biological influences on the heart have not been tested. Here, we evaluate a soft and flexible i-NG system engineered for long-term in vivo cardiac implantation.

Transcostal Histotripsy Ablation in an In Vivo Acute Hepatic Porcine Model.

Purpose: To determine whether histotripsy can create human-scale transcostal ablations in porcine liver without causing severe thermal wall injuries along the beam path.

Materials And Methods: Histotripsy was applied to the liver using a preclinical prototype robotic system through a transcostal window in six female swine. A 3.

Association of Stress-Health Factors among Parkinson's Disease Patient/Caregiving-Partner Dyads.

Objective: Few studies have explored the shared effects of Parkinson's disease (PD) within patient/caregiver dyads. To fill this gap, we compared stress-health outcomes of patients with those of caregiving-partners, examined individual stress-health associations, and explored stress-health associations within dyads.

Method: A total of 18 PD patient/caregiving-partner dyads (N = 36) reported on disease-specific distress, anxiety, quality of life (QOL), and provided saliva samples for cortisol assessment.

Lifelong restriction of dietary branched-chain amino acids has sex-specific benefits for frailty and lifespan in mice.

Protein restricted (PR) diets promote health and longevity in many species. While the precise components of a PR diet that mediate the beneficial effects to longevity have not been defined, we recently showed that many metabolic effects of PR can be attributed to reduced dietary levels of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Here, we demonstrate that restricting dietary BCAAs increases the survival of two different progeroid mouse models, delays frailty and promotes the metabolic health of wild-type C57BL/6J mice when started in midlife, and leads to a 30% increase in lifespan and a reduction in frailty in male, but not female, wild-type mice when fed lifelong.

Histotripsy Ablations in a Porcine Liver Model: Feasibility of Respiratory Motion Compensation by Alteration of the Ablation Zone Prescription Shape.

Background: Previous human-scale porcine liver model studies of histotripsy have resulted in ablation zones elongated in the cranial-caudal (CC) dimension due to uninterrupted respiratory motion during the ablation procedure.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compensate for elongation of hepatic histotripsy ablation zones in the cranial-caudal (CC) dimension caused by respiratory motion by prescribing ellipsoid-shaped ablations.

Methods: Six female swine underwent 12 hepatic histotripsy ablations using a prototype clinical histotripsy system under general anesthesia.

Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing.

The incidence of clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is increasing due to the aging population, resulting in a significant economic and quality of life burden. Transgenic and other mouse models have been developed to recreate various aspects of this multifactorial disease; however, methods to accurately quantitate urinary dysfunction and the effectiveness of new therapeutic options are lacking. Here, we describe a method that can be used to measure bladder volume and detrusor wall thickness, urinary velocity, void volume and void duration, and urethral diameter.

Real-Time in Vivo Photoacoustic Imaging in the Assessment of Myocardial Dynamics in Murine Model of Myocardial Ischemia.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an evolving real-time imaging modality that combines the higher contrast of optical imaging with the higher spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging. We utilized dual-wavelength PAI for the diagnosis and monitoring of myocardial ischemia by assessing variations in blood oxygen saturation estimated in a murine model. The use of high-frequency ultrasound in conjunction with PAI enabled imaging of anatomic and functional changes associated with ischemia.

Chlamydia trachomatis antigens recognized in women with tubal factor infertility, normal fertility, and acute infection.

Objective: To identify Chlamydia trachomatis antigens associated with tubal factor infertility and acute infection.

Methods: A C trachomatis proteome array was used to compare antibody profiles among women with tubal factor infertility, normal fertility, and acute C trachomatis infection.

Results: Thirteen immunodominant antigens reacted with 50% or more sera from all women (n=73).

Risk factors for prolapse development in white, black, and Hispanic women.

Objectives: : This study aimed to examine the risk factors for prevalence and incidence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in whites, Hispanics, and blacks.

Methods: : This is a secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Estrogen plus Progestin Clinical Trial (E + P). Of the original E + P trial population of 16,608, 12,667 women (78.

Genome-wide identification of Chlamydia trachomatis antigens associated with tubal factor infertility.

Objective: To identify Chlamydia trachomatis antigens that can be used to differentially diagnose tubal factor infertility in comparison with previously reported heat shock protein 60.

Design: In vitro study.

Setting: Academic medical center.

Serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin levels can inform outcome counseling after in vitro fertilization.

The predictive value of serum beta hCG level for fetal cardiac motion and pregnancy outcome after IVF was evaluated. The serum hCG level 12 days after ET is a useful predictor of subsequent presence of fetal cardiac activity and live birth and may assist clinicians in counseling patients regarding their IVF outcome.

In vitro fertilization outcomes in Hispanics versus non-Hispanic whites.

The in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes, including clinical intrauterine gestation rate and live birth rate, between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women were compared, and there were no differences. Hispanics were more likely to have a diagnosis of tubal factor infertility, whereas non-Hispanic white women were more likely to have endometriosis as their infertility diagnosis.

Inhibition of CD44 N- and O-linked glycosylation decreases endometrial cell lines attachment to peritoneal mesothelial cells.

The attachment of endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) and endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) to peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) with and without inhibition of N- and O-linked glycosylation, the viability of EECs and ESCs, and the expression of CD44 surface density were evaluated. Inhibition of CD44 N- and O-linked glycosylation by using tunicamycin and/or B-GalNAc statistically significantly inhibited endometrial cell attachment to peritoneal mesothelial cells, suggesting a role in establishment of early endometriotic lesions.

Alcohol consumption and risk of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast in a cohort of postmenopausal women.

Background: Observational studies have commonly linked higher alcohol consumption with a modest increase in invasive breast cancer risk, but cohort studies have not examined alcohol intake in relation to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Methods: The association between adulthood alcohol consumption assessed at baseline and subsequent DCIS risk was examined in a cohort of postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative clinical trials, in which mammography was protocol-mandated. Alcohol intake was assessed by a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire.

Association of tubal factor infertility with elevated antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis caseinolytic protease P.

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess antibodies against Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock proteins (HSP) in patients with tubal factor infertility (TFI), infertility controls (IFC), and fertile controls (FC). HSPs assist organisms in surviving caustic environments such as heat.

Study Design: Twenty-one TFI, 15 IFC, and 29 FC patients were enrolled after laparoscopic tubal assessment.

Reviews: in vitro models to study the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Several in vitro models that attempt to replicate the intraperitoneal environment have been developed to study the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The chicken chorioallantotic membrane has been used, but it has not been well characterized and may introduce some species specific variables. In vitro models using human tissues include amniotic membrane, human peritoneal explants, and cell culture monolayers.

Optimizing success with donor insemination.

Artificial insemination with donor sperm yields pregnancy rates similar to the general fertile population with the woman's age being the best predictor for success. This article reviews the indications for donor insemination and the current American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines for screening both the donors and recipients. For most women, timing the insemination the day after detecting the LH surge with a urinary ovulation predictor kit gives the best results.

Pregnancy in true hermaphrodites and all male offspring to date.

Background: There are 11 reported cases of pregnancy in true hermaphrodites, but none with advanced genetic testing. All known fetuses have been male.

Case: A true hermaphrodite with a spontaneous pregnancy prenatally known to have a remaining portion of a right ovotestis, delivered a male neonate.

Treatment strategies for endometriosis.

Background: Endometriosis is a common chronic disease that causes symptoms of pain and infertility. The pain syndrome can be quite incapacitating. The pain symptoms usually originate in the reproductive organs but can also involve the urinary or intestinal tracts if endometriosis implantation has occurred there.