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Papers by Benjamin Kelly

Physiological Reports

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2021

Current Cardiology Reports, 2020

Purpose of Review Lymphatic disorders have received an increasing amount of attention over the la... more Purpose of Review Lymphatic disorders have received an increasing amount of attention over the last decade. Sparked primarily by improved imaging modalities and the dawn of lymphatic interventions, understanding, diagnostics, and treatment of lymphatic complications have undergone considerable improvements. Thus, the current review aims to summarize understanding, diagnostics, and treatment of lymphatic complications in individuals with congenital heart disease. Recent Findings The altered hemodynamics of individuals with congenital heart disease has been found to profoundly affect morphology and function of the lymphatic system, rendering this population especially prone to the development of lymphatic complications such as chylous and serous effusions, protein-losing enteropathy and plastic bronchitis. Summary Although improved, a full understanding of the pathophysiology and targeted treatment for lymphatic complications is still wanting. Future research into pharmacological impr...

Lymphatic Research and Biology, 2019

Background: Knowledge of functional parameters that can be used for evaluation of upper extremity... more Background: Knowledge of functional parameters that can be used for evaluation of upper extremity lymphatic function is limited. This study aims to evaluate near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging for evaluation of lymphatic function in the human arm. Methods and Results: Ten healthy male volunteers (age 25.7 ± 1.3 years) were included and examined at two occasions. The lymphatic functional frequency and velocity were examined at baseline, during hyperthermia and after exercise. In addition, the maximum pressure generated by contraction of the lymphatic vessels was estimated. The mean contraction frequency was found to be 0.9 ± 0.4/min, and the mean velocity of the propulsions was 1.1 ± 0.3 cm/s. The average maximal pressure generated by the contraction of the lymphatic vessels was 59 ± 12 mmHg. No significant difference in frequency, velocity, or pumping pressure was found between the two visits (p > 0.05). Local hyperthermia increased contraction frequency significantly, whereas exercise decreased frequency and increased propulsion velocity. Conclusions: The functional lymphatic parameters evaluated by NIRF imaging showed good repeatability with no significant difference between visits. Future examinations should be conducted with standardization of temperature and exercise, as these parameters were shown to alter lymphatic function.

Lymphatic Research and Biology, 2019

Background: The current belief is that the calcium channel blocker (CCB)-induced edema is due to ... more Background: The current belief is that the calcium channel blocker (CCB)-induced edema is due to a preferential arterial over venous dilatation leading to increased fluid filtration. We challenged this conviction by measuring the lymphatic removal of interstitial fluid during chronic systemic treatment with the CCB, amlodipine. Lymphatic vessels could potentially be an off-target effect of the drugs and play a role in CCB edema. Methods and Results: Sixteen healthy postmenopausal women completed a 12-week double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial. Lymphatic function was assessed by near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The lymphatic function during amlodipine treatment compared with placebo did not show any difference in pumping pressure (53.9 ± 13.9 mmHg vs. 54.7 ± 9.4 mmHg, p = 0.829), contraction frequency (0.4 ± 0.2/min vs. 0.4 ± 0.3/min, p = 0.932), refill time (440 ± 438 seconds vs. 442 ± 419 seconds, p = 0.990), or propagation velocity of lymph packets (18 ± 10 mm/s vs. 15 ± 7 mm/s, p = 0.124). However, the subjects who developed edema during CCB treatment had a 20% lower baseline lymphatic pumping pressure (48.9 ± 4.4 mmHg, n = 7) than the subjects not affected by treatment (59.1 ± 1.2 mmHg, n = 9, p = 0.025). Contraction frequency, refill time, and lymph packet velocity showed no differences in baseline values between the two groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CCB does not directly impair lymphatic function. However, our results show that a reduced lymphatic function predisposes to CCB edema, which may explain why some patients develop edema during treatment.

Personality and Individual Differences, 2019

The finding that females hold more pro-environmental attitudes and engage in more conservation be... more The finding that females hold more pro-environmental attitudes and engage in more conservation behavior, relative to males, is one of the most robust effects in the field of environmental psychology. Yet sparse research has attempted to understand why males are less pro-environmental than females. In three studies, the present research tested the hypothesis that sex differences in personality account for sex (Studies 1-3) and gender (Study 3) differences in both pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. Results from Study 1 demonstrated that conscientiousness mediated links between sex and attitudes towards environmental utilization, protectionism, and conservation behavior in an undergraduate sample. Results from Study 2 with a community sample demonstrated that conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism mediated the link between sex and environmental protectionism. Study 3 replicated the mediating effect of conscientiousness on sex differences in environmental behavior using the HEXACO model and extended this finding beyond biological sex to gender differences. Taken together, results suggest that core differences in personality traits explain sex and gender differences in environmentalism, offering new insight into how to potentially promote increased pro-environmental action among men.

Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, 2019

Background: The Fontan procedure has revolutionized the treatment of univentricular hearts. Howev... more Background: The Fontan procedure has revolutionized the treatment of univentricular hearts. However, it is associated with severe complications such as protein-losing enteropathy, plastic bronchitis, and peripheral edema that may involve the lymphatic circulation. We aimed to assess lymphatic function and morphology in patients with a univentricular circulation. Methods: The functional state of lymphatic vessels in the lower extremities of patients with a Fontan circulation (n=10) was investigated using the novel technique near-infrared fluorescence imaging and compared with an age-, sex-, and weight-matched control group of healthy volunteers (n=10). The lymphatic morphology was described using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and microvascular permeability was estimated by strain gauge plethysmography. Results: The Fontan patients had 17% lower lymphatic pumping pressure (50±3.1 mm Hg) compared with controls (60±2.8 mm Hg; P =0.0341) and a 62% higher contraction frequency (...

Physiological Reports

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2021

Current Cardiology Reports, 2020

Purpose of Review Lymphatic disorders have received an increasing amount of attention over the la... more Purpose of Review Lymphatic disorders have received an increasing amount of attention over the last decade. Sparked primarily by improved imaging modalities and the dawn of lymphatic interventions, understanding, diagnostics, and treatment of lymphatic complications have undergone considerable improvements. Thus, the current review aims to summarize understanding, diagnostics, and treatment of lymphatic complications in individuals with congenital heart disease. Recent Findings The altered hemodynamics of individuals with congenital heart disease has been found to profoundly affect morphology and function of the lymphatic system, rendering this population especially prone to the development of lymphatic complications such as chylous and serous effusions, protein-losing enteropathy and plastic bronchitis. Summary Although improved, a full understanding of the pathophysiology and targeted treatment for lymphatic complications is still wanting. Future research into pharmacological impr...

Lymphatic Research and Biology, 2019

Background: Knowledge of functional parameters that can be used for evaluation of upper extremity... more Background: Knowledge of functional parameters that can be used for evaluation of upper extremity lymphatic function is limited. This study aims to evaluate near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging for evaluation of lymphatic function in the human arm. Methods and Results: Ten healthy male volunteers (age 25.7 ± 1.3 years) were included and examined at two occasions. The lymphatic functional frequency and velocity were examined at baseline, during hyperthermia and after exercise. In addition, the maximum pressure generated by contraction of the lymphatic vessels was estimated. The mean contraction frequency was found to be 0.9 ± 0.4/min, and the mean velocity of the propulsions was 1.1 ± 0.3 cm/s. The average maximal pressure generated by the contraction of the lymphatic vessels was 59 ± 12 mmHg. No significant difference in frequency, velocity, or pumping pressure was found between the two visits (p > 0.05). Local hyperthermia increased contraction frequency significantly, whereas exercise decreased frequency and increased propulsion velocity. Conclusions: The functional lymphatic parameters evaluated by NIRF imaging showed good repeatability with no significant difference between visits. Future examinations should be conducted with standardization of temperature and exercise, as these parameters were shown to alter lymphatic function.

Lymphatic Research and Biology, 2019

Background: The current belief is that the calcium channel blocker (CCB)-induced edema is due to ... more Background: The current belief is that the calcium channel blocker (CCB)-induced edema is due to a preferential arterial over venous dilatation leading to increased fluid filtration. We challenged this conviction by measuring the lymphatic removal of interstitial fluid during chronic systemic treatment with the CCB, amlodipine. Lymphatic vessels could potentially be an off-target effect of the drugs and play a role in CCB edema. Methods and Results: Sixteen healthy postmenopausal women completed a 12-week double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial. Lymphatic function was assessed by near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The lymphatic function during amlodipine treatment compared with placebo did not show any difference in pumping pressure (53.9 ± 13.9 mmHg vs. 54.7 ± 9.4 mmHg, p = 0.829), contraction frequency (0.4 ± 0.2/min vs. 0.4 ± 0.3/min, p = 0.932), refill time (440 ± 438 seconds vs. 442 ± 419 seconds, p = 0.990), or propagation velocity of lymph packets (18 ± 10 mm/s vs. 15 ± 7 mm/s, p = 0.124). However, the subjects who developed edema during CCB treatment had a 20% lower baseline lymphatic pumping pressure (48.9 ± 4.4 mmHg, n = 7) than the subjects not affected by treatment (59.1 ± 1.2 mmHg, n = 9, p = 0.025). Contraction frequency, refill time, and lymph packet velocity showed no differences in baseline values between the two groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CCB does not directly impair lymphatic function. However, our results show that a reduced lymphatic function predisposes to CCB edema, which may explain why some patients develop edema during treatment.

Personality and Individual Differences, 2019

The finding that females hold more pro-environmental attitudes and engage in more conservation be... more The finding that females hold more pro-environmental attitudes and engage in more conservation behavior, relative to males, is one of the most robust effects in the field of environmental psychology. Yet sparse research has attempted to understand why males are less pro-environmental than females. In three studies, the present research tested the hypothesis that sex differences in personality account for sex (Studies 1-3) and gender (Study 3) differences in both pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. Results from Study 1 demonstrated that conscientiousness mediated links between sex and attitudes towards environmental utilization, protectionism, and conservation behavior in an undergraduate sample. Results from Study 2 with a community sample demonstrated that conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism mediated the link between sex and environmental protectionism. Study 3 replicated the mediating effect of conscientiousness on sex differences in environmental behavior using the HEXACO model and extended this finding beyond biological sex to gender differences. Taken together, results suggest that core differences in personality traits explain sex and gender differences in environmentalism, offering new insight into how to potentially promote increased pro-environmental action among men.

Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, 2019

Background: The Fontan procedure has revolutionized the treatment of univentricular hearts. Howev... more Background: The Fontan procedure has revolutionized the treatment of univentricular hearts. However, it is associated with severe complications such as protein-losing enteropathy, plastic bronchitis, and peripheral edema that may involve the lymphatic circulation. We aimed to assess lymphatic function and morphology in patients with a univentricular circulation. Methods: The functional state of lymphatic vessels in the lower extremities of patients with a Fontan circulation (n=10) was investigated using the novel technique near-infrared fluorescence imaging and compared with an age-, sex-, and weight-matched control group of healthy volunteers (n=10). The lymphatic morphology was described using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and microvascular permeability was estimated by strain gauge plethysmography. Results: The Fontan patients had 17% lower lymphatic pumping pressure (50±3.1 mm Hg) compared with controls (60±2.8 mm Hg; P =0.0341) and a 62% higher contraction frequency (...