Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interoception and alcohol addiction: Vagotomy induces long‐lasting suppression of relapse‐type behavior

Drug addictions are chronic mental disorders characterized by compulsive drug seeking and drug use, despite their negative consequences. It is a priority to find therapeutic alternatives to prevent relapse, as there are still no treatments that can ensure abstinence. One of the neural systems implicated in the appearance of the states of discomfort that motivate relapse is the interoceptive system, which oversees our internal body states. However, less attention has been given to the peripheral components of the interoceptive system and their role in addictions. Within these pathways, the vagus nerve represents one of the main visceral afferents of the interoceptive system. We hypothesized that the interruption of visceral afferent pathways would decrease the motivational effects of the drug, thereby either decreasing or preventing drug cravings. To test this idea, we used rats of a high‐alcohol‐drinking line and measured the effect that vagus nerve resection had on the relapse‐like alcohol drinking, expressed as the alcohol deprivation effect, a phenomenon that has been linked to addiction‐related events such as alcohol cravings. We found that even though vagotomy completely eliminates the effect of alcohol deprivation, it has no impact on water consumption or animal weight. These results give us valuable information about the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and alcohol use disorders and allow us to propose new clinical research that might have translational options.
Tatton‐Brown‐Rahman syndrome: cognitive and behavioural phenotypes

The aim of this case series was to assess and characterize cognitive abilities, autistic traits, and adaptive behaviour in Tatton‐Brown‐Rahman syndrome (TBRS). The sample included 18 individuals with a clinical and genetic diagnosis of TBRS (11 males, seven females; mean age 17y 7mo, SD 9y 5mo, range 7y 2mo–33y 10mo). The British Ability Scales, Third Edition and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS‐2) were administered to all participants. The Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition and the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, Third Edition were completed by a parent/caregiver. The majority of participants (n=15) had intellectual disability and General Conceptual Ability scores ranged from 39 to 76 (mean 53.17, SD 12.13). Participants displayed a profile of better verbal ability compared with non‐verbal reasoning ability and spatial ability. Autistic traits were prevalent and eight participants scored above the cut‐off on the ADOS‐2, although symptoms were less pronounced in older individuals. Adaptive functioning was impaired but commensurate with intellectual ability. Overall, TBRS is associated with an uneven cognitive profile and a high prevalence of autistic traits. This has implications for identifying appropriate services and support that may be beneficial for individuals with TBRS.
P137 ‘I really live for coming here’. The effect of a long-term singing group on control of breathlessness, social empowerment and psychological wellbeing of patients with respiratory disease: a qualitative study

Introduction Community singing programs may improve quality of life for breathless people with long-term respiratory disease but there has been limited formal exploration of its social and psychological importance. This qualitative study aimed to investigate the impact of a long-term weekly singing group on empowerment, breathlessness, psychological wellbeing and social engagement of respiratory patients at an inner city London hospital. Methods Patients attending a weekly, 1-hour singing group led by a music therapist and open to all patients with respiratory disease were recruited. Demographic, disease severity and self reported health care resource utilisation data were collected from those who consented to participate. Semi-structured interviews (Figure 1), were used to collect qualitative data which were analysed using grounded theory methodology.Abstract P137 Figure 1 Results 16 patients (4M:12F, mean (range) age 72.6 (50–92) years) were interviewed. Diagnoses included COPD (11/16), asthma (2/16), bronchiectasis (2/16) and fibrosis (1/16) with mean (±SD, range) FEV1 1.31(± 0.54, 0.69–2.58,) litres, FEV1 54% predicted (± 22.01 range 26% - 96%). All were non-smokers (ex-smokers 12/16); 12/16 (75%) had previously attended pulmonary rehabilitation. 10/16 lived alone and 8/16 had a history of mental health comorbidity requiring treatment. Duration of singing group attendance (mean±SD) was 15.3 ± 6.5 months. Four themes were identified from the qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews: 1. ‘Control of Symptoms’, 2. ‘Community and Friendship’, 3. ‘Psychological Benefits’, 4. ‘Mastery of Illness’. The singing group improved breathlessness symptoms, enabled access to further sources of support and formed new friendships. Self reported primary care (GP) visits were (non-significantly) fewer in the year following commencement of singing. There was no difference in hospital admissions in the year after starting singing compared to the year before. Conclusion The singing group had a profound impact on this group of patients with moderate chronic respiratory disease, a high prevalence of anxiety and depression and social isolation. The dominant effects were improving mood, providing a sense of mastery (control) over breathing to better cope with breathlessness, and tackling social isolation. These findings should help to inform commissioners of the value of singing groups as an effective, low-cost, non-pharmacological long-term therapy for patients with chronic respiratory disease.
Distribution of Free and Bound Phenolic Compounds in Buckwheat Milling Fractions

Buckwheat is a rich source of phenolic compounds that have shown to possess beneficial effect to reduce some diseases due to their antioxidant power. Phenolic compounds are present in the free and in the bound form to the cell wall that are concentrated mainly in the outer layer (hull and bran). Hull is removed before the milling of buckwheat to obtain flours. In order to evaluate the phenolic composition in dehulled buckwheat milling fractions, it was carried out a determination of free and bound phenolic compounds in dehulled whole buckwheat flour, light flour, bran flour, and middling flour by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS). The most abundant free phenolic compounds were rutin and epiafzelchin–epicatechin-O-dimethylgallate, whereas the most abundant bound phenolic compounds were catechin and epicatechin in all buckwheat flours. Besides, the highest content of free phenolic compounds was obtained in bran flour (1249.49 mg/kg d.w.), whereas the greatest bound phenolic content was in middling (704.47 mg/kg d.w.) and bran flours (689.81 mg/kg d.w.). Thus, middling and bran flours are naturally enriched flours in phenolic compounds that could be used to develop functional foods.
Relationship between microbiology of throat swab and clinical course among primary care patients with acute cough: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) account for most antibiotics prescribed in primary care despite lack of efficacy, partly due to clinician uncertainty about aetiology and patient concerns about illness course. Nucleic acid amplification tests could assist antibiotic targeting. Methods In this prospective cohort study, 645 patients presenting to primary care with acute cough and suspected ALRTI, provided throat swabs at baseline. These were tested for respiratory pathogens by real-time polymerase chain reaction and classified as having a respiratory virus, bacteria, both or neither. Three hundred fifty-four participants scored the symptoms severity daily for 1 week in a diary (0 = absent to 4 = severe problem). Results Organisms were identified in 346/645 (53.6%) participants. There were differences in the prevalence of seven symptoms between the organism groups at baseline. Those with a virus alone, and those with both virus and bacteria, had higher average severity scores of all symptoms combined during the week of follow-up than those in whom no organisms were detected [adjusted mean differences 0.204 (95% confidence interval 0.010 to 0.398) and 0.348 (0.098 to 0.598), respectively]. There were no differences in the duration of symptoms rated as moderate or severe between organism groups. Conclusions Differences in presenting symptoms and symptoms severity can be identified between patients with viruses and bacteria identified on throat swabs. The magnitude of these differences is unlikely to influence management. Most patients had mild symptoms at 7 days regardless of aetiology, which could inform patients about likely symptom duration.
Bortezomib and Thalidomide Treatment Results in Newly Diagnosed Transplant-Ineligible Multiple Myeloma Patients are Comparable in Long-Term Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND Thalidomide-and bortezomib-containing regimens are widely used for transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. The aim of this study was to analyse the efficiency of thalidomide-or bortezomib-based regimens in long-term follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS From 2008 to 2012, 142 transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients were analysed retrospectively. Bortezomib was administered at the standard dosing of 1.3mg/m2 weekly, and thalidomide was administered at a daily dose of 100mg. Both drugs were combined with cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone. A total of 95 patients were treated with thalidomide and 47 with bortezomib. A median four cycles of treatment were administered in both groups. RESULTS In the thalidomide group, the overall response rate was 60.6%, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.3 months (95% CI 7.4-13.2) and the median overall survival (OS) was 35.1 months (95% CI 23.9-46.3). In the bortezomib group, the overall response rate was 51.1%, the median PFS was 11.9 months (95% CI 8.8-15) and the median OS was 25.4 months (95% CI 9.3-41.6). There was a statistically significant difference in OS (p = 0.027), favouring the cyclophosphamide/thalidomide/dexamethasone group, but the response rates and PFS intervals were not significantly different between both groups. The median follow-up in the thalidomide group was 35.1 months (95% CI 0.2-95.9) compared to 25.1 months (95% CI 0.4-60.6) in the bortezomib group (p = 0.004). The incidence of serious adverse events was comparable in both groups. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the results of bortezomib treatment are comparable to thalidomide treatment under conditions of short administration. According to other clinical trials, long-term bortezomib treatment provides an additional advantage for PFS and OS.
Capital Structure and Financial Performance of Malaysian Construction Firms

This study investigated the impact of capital structure on financial performance of Malaysian construction firms. The empirical data was taken from 41 construction firms listedon the main board of Bursa Malaysia and observed from 2011 to 2015. Capital structure is the financing decision on the proportion between debt and equity. The right proportion leads to optimal capital structure. This study adopts two theories namely trade-off theory and pecking order theory, to explain the concept of optimal capital structure. Capital structure is the independent variable and is measured by short-term debt (STD), long-term debt (LTD), total debt (TD), meanwhile the dependent variable, financial performance, is proxy by return on asset (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The results indicated positive and significant association between LTD and ROE. However, STD was significant but negatively correlated with ROE. Meanwhile, TD was positive but insignificantly associated with ROE. Nevertheless, STD, LTD and TD were negatively and insignificantly associated with ROA. The findings suggested that financing decisions are influenced by the objective of the firms. If the goal of the firms was to maximize return on asset, the pecking order theory was employed, however if the firms? objective was to maximize return on equity then the trade-off theory was appropriate to explain the concept of optimal capital structure. The concentration on one industry and the relatively narrow five-year period for data collection were the main limitations of this study. The findings of the research will contribute towards capital structure literature.
FLOWERING LOCUS T Improves Cucumber Adaptation to Higher Latitudes1[OPEN]

Two large deletions upstream from FLOWERING LOCUS T occurred independently in Eurasian and East-Asian cucumber populations and are associated with higher expression of this gene and earlier flowering. Flowering time plays a crucial role in the geographical adaptation of most crops during domestication. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a major vegetable crop worldwide. From its tropical origin on the southern Asian continent, cucumber has spread over a wide latitudinal cline, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this latitudinal adaptation and the expansion of domesticated cucumber are largely unclear. Here, we report the cloning of two flowering time loci from two distinct cucumber populations and show that two large deletions upstream from FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) are associated with higher expression of FT and earlier flowering. We determined that the two large deletions are pervasive and occurred independently in Eurasian and East-Asian populations. Nucleotide diversity analysis further revealed that the FT locus region of the cucumber genome contains a signature for a selective sweep during domestication. Our results suggest that large genetic structural variations upstream from FT were selected for and have been important in the geographic spread of cucumber from its tropical origin to higher latitudes.
Neglectful maternal caregiving involves altered brain volume in empathy-related areas

Abstract The maternal brain undergoes adaptations to sensitive caregiving that are critical for infant well-being. We investigated structural alterations associated with neglectful caregiving and their effects on mother–child interactive behavior. High-resolution 3D volumetric images were obtained on 25 neglectful (NM) and 23 non-neglectful control (CM) mothers. Using voxel-based morphometry, we compared differences in gray and white matter (GM and WM, respectively) volume. Mothers completed an empathy scale and participated with their children in a play task (Emotional Availability Scale, EA). Neglectful mothers showed smaller GM volume in the right insula, anterior/middle cingulate (ACC/MCC), and right inferior frontal gyrus and less WM volume in bilateral frontal regions than did CM. A greater GM volume was observed in the right fusiform and cerebellum in NM than in CM. Regression analyses showed a negative effect of greater fusiform GM volume and a positive effect of greater right frontal WM volume on EA. Mediation analyses showed the role of emotional empathy in the positive effect of the insula and right inferior frontal gyrus and in the negative effect of the cerebellum on EA. Neglectful mothering involves alterations in emotional empathy-related areas and in frontal areas associated with poor mother–child interactive bonding, indicating how critical these areas are for sensitive caregiving.
Association of Opioid Prescribing Patterns With Prescription Opioid Overdose in Adolescents and Young Adults.

Importance Safe opioid prescribing practices are critical to mitigate the risk of prescription opioid overdose in adolescents and young adults. However, studies that examine opioid prescribing patterns associated with prescription opioid overdose have mostly focused on older adults. The generalizability of these studies to adolescents and young adults is unclear. Objective To identify opioid prescribing patterns associated with prescription opioid overdose in adolescents and young adults. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study assessed privately insured patients aged 12 to 21 years with opioid prescription claims in the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database between July 1, 2009, and October 1, 2017, and no cancer diagnosis. Data analysis was performed from January 1 to April 30, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures The outcome was a treated opioid overdose as indicated by diagnosis codes. On the basis of days supplied, opioid prescription claims were converted to person-days (the unit of analysis) on which opioid exposure would occur if patients took medications as prescribed. Logistic regression with clustered SEs at the patient level was used to model the occurrence of overdose on a person-day as a function of daily opioid dosage category (<30, 30-59, 60-89, 90-119, or ≥120 morphine milligram equivalents), concurrent benzodiazepine use, and extended-release or long-acting opioid use. Regressions controlled for demographic characteristics, year, opioid use within 180 days, and comorbidities (mental health disorder, substance use disorder, and other chronic condition). Results A total of 2 752 612 patients (mean [SD] age at cohort entry, 17.2 [2.5] years; 1 451 918 [52.8%] female) participated in the study. Patients had 4 686 355 opioid prescription claims, corresponding to 21 605 444 person-days. Overdose occurred on 255 person-days among 249 patients (0.01% of the sample). Each increase in daily opioid dosage category was associated with higher overdose risk (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05-1.31). Compared with no use, both concurrent benzodiazepine use (AOR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.24-2.71) and extended-release or long-acting opioid use (AOR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.16-3.46) were associated with increased overdose risk. Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that when prescribing opioids to adolescents and young adults, practitioners could potentially mitigate overdose risk by using the lowest effective daily dosage, avoiding concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing, and relying on short-acting opioids. Findings are broadly consistent with prior opioid safety studies focused on older adults.
Practice of Noseband Use and Intentions towards Behavioural Change in Dutch Equestrians

Simple Summary The space between the noseband and the skin of competition horses is a current welfare issue. The practices regarding the noseband tightness of Dutch horses was studied, as well as the intentions of Dutch equestrians when fastening the noseband. More than half (59%) of Dutch riders had their horses’ nosebands tightened according to the new two-finger regulation, implemented 1 April 2019. Dressage horses and older horses wore less tight nosebands compared to show jumping and younger horses. Results of an internet survey on intentions for noseband use showed that 54.5% of the respondents agreed with the new regulation and 62% believe that it will improve horse welfare. The respondents could be categorised into three different groups that differed regarding their own attitude towards noseband tightening behaviour, how peer pressure may affect noseband tightening behaviour, and how they perceived the new regulation. To improve horse welfare, knowledge transfer should include different strategies for different groups. Moreover, to convince equestrians to adhere to, and ensure a successful implementation of, the new regulation, transparency and objective measurements should be put in place. Abstract Understanding equestrians’ noseband tightening practices and intentions is necessary to target welfare improvement strategies. Firstly, we measured tightness in dressage and show jumping horses in The Netherlands, shortly after implementation of the two-finger rule by the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation. Noseband tightness decreased with age, was less tight in dressage horses than in show jumpers, and was dependent on the interaction between competition level and discipline. Fifty-nine percent of the riders tightened nosebands to such an extent that they adhered to the new regulation. Secondly, we conducted an online survey to gain insight into whether riders were aware of noseband use and tightening behaviour. Of the 386 respondents, 54.5% agreed with the new regulations, and 62% believe that it improves horses’ welfare. Applying cluster analysis to statements regarding their own attitude, peer pressure, and behavioural control produced three clusters. Noticeably, a lower percentage of Cluster 1 respondents (38%) performing at higher levels was convinced that the new regulation improved welfare than Cluster 2 (77.9%) and 3 (89.0%) respondents. Designing strategies to ensure the successful implementation of the new regulation and to convince equestrians to comply would be most effective if targeted differentially, and should include a transparent and objective form of regulation.
Impact of Immunosuppression on Radiographic Features of HIV Related Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Nigerians Nijerya Halkinda HIV ile İlişkili Bağişiklik Sisteminin Baskilanmasinin Akciğer Tüberkülozunun Radyolojik Bulgularina Etkileri

Objective: The impact of immunosuppression on radiographic manifestation of HIV related pulmonary tuberculosis among Nigerians was studied. Material and Method: We recruited 127 cases of HIV related pulmonary tuberculosis at the Federal Medical Centre Yola Adamawa state, Nigeria. Demographic information, smoking history and results of sputum smear for AAFB, chest radiographic findings and blood CD4 counts were obtained. Subjects were subdivided into two groups: Group I (CD4 count < 200cell/mm 3 ) and Group II (CD4 count ≥ 200cell/mm