Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Taste sensitivity to 6-n-propylthiouracil predicts acceptance of bitter-tasting spinach in 3-6-y-old children.

BACKGROUND Understanding what motivates the preference for and selection of foods has important health implications. Research suggests that the phytochemicals present in green leafy vegetables contain anticarcinogenic properties. As a result of the bitter taste of phytochemical compounds, however, foods containing these are often not well accepted, particularly by children. OBJECTIVE We aimed to study the relation between sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiocuracil (PROP) and acceptance of bitter- and strong-tasting foods in 3-6-y-old children. DESIGN Two independent procedures, a threshold detection and a suprathreshold intensity task, were used to measure individual sensitivity to PROP, and 3 independent tasks were used to assess food acceptance. RESULTS Sensitivity to the bitter taste of PROP was positively correlated with dislike of the taste of raw spinach (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The acceptance of spinach may to some extent be mediated by individual taste perception and be predictable via both threshold and suprathreshold measures of PROP taste sensitivity. Furthermore, children as young as 3 y of age can partake in direct investigations of taste, reliably comply with test procedures, and accurately communicate taste perceptions and preferences under study conditions.
Five-Year Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Patients Rehabilitated with Immediately Loaded Maxillary Cross-Arch Fixed Dental Prosthesis Supported by Four or Six Implants Placed Using Guided Surgery.

PURPOSE To compare the 5-year clinical and radiological outcomes of patients rehabilitated with four or six implants placed using guided surgery and immediate function concept. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty patients randomly received four (All-on-4) or six (All-on-6) immediately loaded implants, placed using guided surgery, to support a cross-arch fixed dental prosthesis. Outcome measures were survival rates of implants and prostheses, complications, peri-implant marginal bone loss, and periodontal parameters. RESULTS No drop-out occurred. Seven implants failed at the 5-year follow-up examination: six in the All-on-6 group (5%) and one in the All-on-4 group (1.25%), with no statistically significant differences (p = .246). No prosthetic failure occurred. Both group experienced some technical and biologic complications with no statistically significant differences between groups (p = .501). All-on-4 treatment concept demonstrated a trend of more complications during the entire follow-up period. A trend of more implant failure was experienced for the All-on-6 treatment concept. Marginal bone loss (MBL) from baseline to the 5-year follow-up was not statistically different between All-on-4 (1.71 ± 0.42 mm) and All-on-6 (1.51 ± 0.36 mm) groups (p = .12). For periodontal parameters, there were no differences between groups (p > .05). CONCLUSION Both approaches may represent a predictable treatment option for the rehabilitation of complete edentulous patients in the medium term. Longer randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these results.
Bipolar disorders: is there an influence of seasonality or photoperiod?

Objective: To increase understanding of the influence of photoperiod variation in patients with bipolar disorders. Methods: We followed a sample of Italian bipolar patients over a period of 24 months, focusing on inpatients. All patients admitted to the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit of San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital in Orbassano (Turin, Italy) between September 1, 2013 and August 31, 2015 were recruited. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. Results: Seven hundred and thirty patients were included. The admission rate for bipolar patients was significantly higher during May, June and July, when there was maximum sunlight exposure, although no seasonal pattern was found. Patients with (hypo)manic episodes were admitted more frequently during the spring and during longer photoperiods than those with major depressive episodes. Conclusions: Photoperiod is a key element in bipolar disorder, not only as an environmental factor but also as an important clinical parameter that should be considered during treatment.
Refined-cereal intake and risk of selected cancers in italy.

BACKGROUND Although consumption of whole-grain foods seems to reduce the risk of several types of neoplasms, the potential influence of a diet rich in starches and refined grains is less clear. OBJECTIVE We studied the relation between the frequency of consumption of refined cereals (bread, pasta, or rice) and the risk of selected neoplasms. DESIGN This was an integrated series of case-control studies conducted in northern Italy between 1983 and 1993. The subjects were patients admitted to the major teaching and general hospitals in Milan and Pordenone with incident, histologically confirmed cancers: 343 with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, 94 with cancer of the esophagus, 146 with cancer of the larynx, 745 with cancer of the stomach, 955 with cancer of the colon, 625 with cancer of the rectum, and 428 with cancer of the thyroid. The control subjects were 3526 patients admitted to the same network of hospitals for acute nonneoplastic conditions unrelated to long-term modification of diet. Odds ratios (ORs) for consecutive tertiles of refined-cereal consumption were computed after allowance for sociodemographic variables, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain foods. RESULTS The ORs for the highest tertile of refined-cereal intake were 1.6 for cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, or larynx; 1.5 for stomach cancer; 1.5 for colon cancer; 1.3 for cancer of the rectum; and 2.0 for thyroid cancer. The trends in risk were significant for all neoplasms considered. CONCLUSION Consumption of refined cereals was associated with an increased risk of cancers of the large bowel, the stomach, and other selected digestive and nondigestive sites.
Meta‐analysis of fish early life stage tests—Association of toxic ratios and acute‐to‐chronic ratios with modes of action

Fish early life stage (ELS) tests (Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development test guideline 210) are widely conducted to estimate chronic fish toxicity. In these tests, fish are exposed from the embryonic to the juvenile life stages. To analyze whether certain modes of action are related to high toxic ratios (i.e., ratios between baseline toxicity and experimental effect) and/or acute‐to‐chronic ratios (ACRs) in the fish ELS test, effect concentrations (ECs) for 183 compounds were extracted from the US Environmental Protection Agency's ecotoxicity database. Analysis of ECs of narcotic compounds indicated that baseline toxicity could be observed in the fish ELS test at similar concentrations as in the acute fish toxicity test. All nonnarcotic modes of action were associated with higher toxic ratios, with median values ranging from 4 to 9.3 × 104 (uncoupling < reactivity < neuromuscular toxicity < methemoglobin formation < endocrine disruption < extracellular matrix formation inhibition). Four modes of action were also found to be associated with high ACRs: 1) lysyl oxidase inhibition leading to notochord distortion, 2) putative methemoglobin formation or hemolytic anemia, 3) endocrine disruption, and 4) compounds with neuromuscular toxicity. For the prediction of ECs in the fish ELS test with alternative test systems, endpoints targeted to the modes of action of compounds with enhanced toxic ratios or ACRs could be used to trigger fish ELS tests or even replace these tests. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:955–969. © 2018 SETAC
A short-term, high-fat diet up-regulates lipid metabolism and gene expression in human skeletal muscle.

BACKGROUND Dietary fatty acids may be important in regulating gene expression. However, little is known about the effect of changes in dietary fatty acids on gene regulation in human skeletal muscle. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine the effect of altered dietary fat intake on the expression of genes encoding proteins necessary for fatty acid transport and beta-oxidation in skeletal muscle. DESIGN Fourteen well-trained male cyclists and triathletes with a mean (+/- SE) age of 26.9 +/- 1.7 y, weight of 73.7 +/- 1.7 kg, and peak oxygen uptake of 67.0 +/- 1.3 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) consumed either a high-fat diet (HFat: > 65% of energy as lipids) or an isoenergetic high-carbohydrate diet (HCho: 70-75% of energy as carbohydrate) for 5 d in a crossover design. On day 1 (baseline) and again after 5 d of dietary intervention, resting muscle and blood samples were taken. Muscle samples were analyzed for gene expression [fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36), plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm), carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I), beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (beta-HAD), and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3)] and concentrations of the proteins FAT/CD36 and FABPpm. RESULTS The gene expression of FAT/CD36 and beta -HAD and the gene abundance of FAT/CD36 were greater after the HFat than after the HCho diet (P < 0.05). Messenger RNA expression of FABPpm, CPT I, and UCP-3 did not change significantly with either diet. CONCLUSIONS A rapid and marked capacity for changes in dietary fatty acid availability to modulate the expression of mRNA-encoding proteins is necessary for fatty acid transport and oxidative metabolism. This finding is evidence of nutrient-gene interactions in human skeletal muscle.
Alkaloid Uptake Increases Fitness in a Hemiparasitic Plant via Reduced Herbivory and Increased Pollination

It has been historically difficult to manipulate secondary compounds in living plants to assess how these compounds influence plant‐herbivore and plant‐pollinator interactions. Using a hemiparasitic plant that takes up secondary compounds from host plants, I experimentally manipulated secondary compounds in planta and assessed their effects on herbivores and pollinators in the field. Here, I show that the uptake of alkaloids in the annual hemiparasite Castilleja indivisa resulted in decreased herbivory, increased visitation by pollinators, and increased lifetime seed production. These results indicate that resistance traits such as alkaloids can increase plant fitness directly by reducing herbivore attack and indirectly by increasing pollinator visitation to defended plants. Thus, selection for production of secondary compounds may be underestimated by considering only the direct effect of herbivores on plant fitness.
Nutrition, mild hyperparathyroidism, and bone mineral density in young Japanese women.

BACKGROUND The adverse effects of poor nutrition on the bones of young Asian women have not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate possible associations of vitamin D nutrition, calcium intake, and other nutrients with bone metabolism and bone mass in young Japanese women. DESIGN The subjects were 108 female college students aged 19-25 y. Dietary nutrients were measured by using the duplicate sampling method on 3 weekdays. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], intact parathyroid hormone, and bone turnover markers were also measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine and femur was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS The proportions of the subjects with low 25(OH)D (< 30 nmol/L) and high intact parathyroid hormone (> or = 6.9 pmol/L) concentrations were 32.4% and 15.7%, respectively. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations (P = 0.0265) and calcium intake (P = 0.0103) were inversely associated with serum intact parathyroid hormone. In addition to weight and physical activity, the presence of mild hyperparathyroidism was associated with a low BMD of the lumbar spine (P = 0.0062) and the femoral neck (P = 0.0250), and a low calcium intake was associated with a low BMD of the femoral neck (P = 0.0044). CONCLUSIONS Low calcium intake (based on low BMD of the femoral neck only) and mild hyperparathyroidism (based on low BMD of both the femoral neck and lumbar spine), partly explained by low vitamin D nutrition and a low calcium intake, are important predictors of low BMD in young Japanese women. Effects of poor nutrition and mild hyperparathyroidism on bone peak bone mass in young women should be further investigated in longitudinal studies.
Sex Allocation and Reproductive Success in the Andromonoecious Perennial Solanum carolinense (Solanaceae). II. Paternity and Functional Gender

According to Bateman's principle, male fitness in entomophilous plant species should be limited by mating opportunity, which is influenced by the size or number of flowers. We determined male‐specific fitness consequences of floral phenotype in andromonoecious Solanum carolinense, examined the relationship between male and female reproductive success within plants, and evaluated the distribution of functional gender among plants. A maximum likelihood‐based paternity analysis, based on multilocus allozyme phenotypes of parents and offspring from four experimental plots, was used to determine male reproductive success and its relationship to floral phenotype. Male success was enhanced by an increase in the proportion of male flowers produced but not by an increase in total flower number, even though all flowers contain male parts. Larger flower size increased male success in only one plot. Male and female reproductive success were negatively correlated, and plants varied in functional gender from completely female to completely male. This gender specialization may occur because hermaphroditic and male flowers differ in their ability to contribute to male and female success. Although sex allocation theory predicts a positive relationship between the size or number of plant parts and reproductive success, this study indicates that aspects of floral morphology that affect gender specialization should also be considered.
Undertreatment of hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: long‐term follow‐up on time trends in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, risk factors and medications use

AIMS The aims of the present study were, firstly, to evaluate long-term trends in the occurrence and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and the occurrence of CVD events in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and, secondly, to assess the determinants of undertreatment of CVD risk factors. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 3728 children (<19 years of age) with T1DM and up to 5 age- and gender-matched diabetes-free children (reference cohort) (n = 18 513) using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). RESULTS Compared with diabetes-free subjects, children with T1DM had significantly higher annual prevalence rates of CVD risk factors and cardiovascular (CV) medication use 20 years after the onset of diabetes (index date): hypertension: 35.2% vs. 11.4%, P < 0.001; hypercholesterolaemia: 66.7% vs. 7.14%, P < 0.001; and CV medication use: 37.0% vs. 3.6%, P < 0.001. The significant differences between prevalence rates in the two cohorts started from 1 year before the index date. Furthermore, 50% of the children in the T1DM cohort with hypertension and 53% with hypercholesterolaemia remained untreated with CV drugs for a period of 2-5 years during the 20-year follow-up. Age was the only determinant associated with undertreated hypertension in the T1DM cohort. CONCLUSIONS Children with T1DM had substantially higher prevalence rates of hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia from 1 year before up to 20 years after the onset of diabetes compared with nondiabetics. There is a substantial undertreatment of CVD risk factors with CV drugs. In children with T1DM, screening for CVD risk factors and adequate treatment are of the utmost importance to prevent CVD later in life.
Sleep disorders in Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by growth retardation, intellectual disability, limb defects, typical facial dysmorphism, and other systemic involvement. Sleep disturbances have been frequently reported in CdLS, but these have not been completely characterized, and prevalence data are conflicting. The aim of this paper is to characterize and determine the prevalence of sleep disorders in CdLS patients by means of a validated questionnaire. From November 2012 to November 2013, we asked 46 consecutive parents/caregivers of CdLS patients aged more than 3 years old to fill out the sleep disturbances scale for children (SDSC). The subjects were also characterized by the presence of epilepsy, intellectual disability (ID), behavioral problems, CdLS severity score, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and genetic test results. An abnormal total sleep score was found in 7 patients (15.2%), 26 (56.5%) showed a borderline total score, and 18 (39.1%) had an abnormal score for at least one SDSC factor. In our study sleep disorders were found to be positively associated to presence of epilepsy, GERD, ID, and behavioral disturbances. No correlation was evident with specific mutations of the different genes, BMI, and severity score. Our results confirm that sleep disorders represent a common problem in CdLS, with higher incidence than in the normal population. In these patients sleep disorders seem to be more prevalent in comorbid settings, representing a clinical indicator for different medical and neuropsychiatric disorders. Better knowledge and characterization of typology of sleep disorders in CdLS patients could permit a more specific therapeutic approach. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Left Ventricular Torsion Associated With Aortic Stiffness in Hypertension

Background Left ventricular (LV) torsion plays a key role in cardiac efficiency. In hypertension, aortic stiffening augments cardiac afterload. However, little is known about the links between LV regional contraction and aortic stiffness. We, therefore, investigated these relationships and their contribution to LV diastolic function. Methods and Results The study included normotensive and hypertensive individuals with normal LV ejection. Apical, basal, and global LV rotation rate and LV global longitudinal strain were measured (2‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography). Aortic stiffness was calculated from carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity, and LV relaxation was calculated from early diastolic mitral annulus motion. The ratio of basal or apical untwist/twist rates was calculated to assess relationships between aortic stiffness and LV torsion parameters. LV twist and untwist rates were greater in hypertensive than normotensive individuals because of increased basal twist (P<0.001) and untwist (P<0.001) rates. LV relaxation was reduced (early diastolic mitral annulus motion=7.4±1.9 versus 10.4±2.3 cm/s; P<0.001). In the whole population, basal untwist rate increased with aortic stiffening (R=0.43; P<0.001) and LV relaxation (R=0.41; P=0.001). The ratio of basal untwist/twist rate was positively correlated with carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity, and in the hypertensive group, was greater than in the control group and positively correlated to carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity(P<0.001). Results were independent of age, treatment, mean blood pressure, and indexed LV mass. Conclusions In hypertensive individuals, greater basal LV torsion was associated with increased aortic stiffness and improved diastolic function. These changes may compensate for the deleterious effects of aortic stiffening on LV relaxation.
Structural and functional analysis of the GABARAP interaction motif (GIM)

Through the canonical LC3 interaction motif (LIR), [W/F/Y]-X1-X2-[I/L/V], protein complexes are recruited to autophagosomes to perform their functions as either autophagy adaptors or receptors. How these adaptors/receptors selectively interact with either LC3 or GABARAP families remains unclear. Herein, we determine the range of selectivity of 30 known core LIR motifs towards LC3s and GABARAPs. From these, we define a GABARAP Interaction Motif (GIM) sequence (W/F-V-X2-V) that the adaptor protein PLEKHM1 tightly conforms to. Using biophysical and structural approaches, we show that the PLEKHM1-LIR is indeed eleven-fold more specific for GABARAP than LC3B. Selective mutation of the X1 and X2 positions either completely abolished the interaction with all LC3 and GABARAPs or increased PLEKHM1-GIM selectivity 20-fold towards LC3B. Finally, we show that conversion of the canonical p62/SQSTM1-LIR into our newly defined GIM, by introducing two valine residues, enhances p62/SQSTM1 interaction with endogenous GABARAP over LC3B. The identification of a GABARAP-specific interaction motif will aid the identification and characterization of the continually expanding array of autophagy receptor and adaptor proteins and their in vivo functions.
Enhanced Processing of Untrustworthiness in Natural Faces With Neutral Expressions

During social interactions, individuals rapidly and automatically judge others’ trustworthiness on the basis of subtle facial cues. To investigate the behavioral and neural correlates of these judgments, we conducted 2 studies: 1 study for the construction and evaluation of a set of natural faces differing in trustworthiness (Study 1: n = 30) and another study for the investigation of event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to this set of natural faces (Study 2: n = 30). Participants of both studies provided highly reliable and nearly identical trustworthiness ratings for the selected faces, supporting the notion that the discrimination of trustworthy and untrustworthy faces depends on distinct facial cues. These cues appear to be processed in an automatic and bottom-up-driven fashion because the free viewing of these faces was sufficient to elicit trustworthiness-related differences in late positive potentials (LPPs) as indicated by larger amplitudes to untrustworthy as compared with trustworthy faces. Taken together, these findings suggest that natural faces contain distinct cues that are automatically and rapidly processed to facilitate the discrimination of untrustworthy and trustworthy faces across various contexts, presumably by enhancing the elaborative processing of untrustworthy as compared with trustworthy faces.
Refinement of steel microstructure by free-forging

Purpose: Refinement of austenitic steel and low alloyed C-Mn-Si-Nb steel microstructure by free-forging. Design/methodology/approach: In this study severe hot deformation was applied on low alloyed 0.2C-1.5Mn2Si-0.05Nb steel and austenitic 0.07C-18Cr-2Mn. -10Ni steel. Steels were processed in a full-hydraulic press. Different temperatures of preheating, dwells and strain levels were applied. Microstructure was characterised using optical metallography, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Findings: After optimization of processing fine grained structures with convenient phase composition were obtained. Multiple free-forging followed by recrystallization annealing was successfully used for refinement of austenitic Cr-Ni steel and improvement of mechanical properties. While free-forging of low alloyed C-Mn-SiNb steel still has not satisfied expected increase of strength and ductility. Research limitations/implications: Free-forging usually results in formation of very heterogeneous structures. In submitted study relatively fine grained and uniform structures were obtained. Grain size below a few micrometers can not be probably achieved using above mentioned technology. Originality/value: Obtained results can be used for development of forging technology in service conditions.