Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fecal microbiota transplantation for the improvement of metabolism in obesity: The FMT-TRIM double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial

Background There is intense interest about whether modulating gut microbiota can impact systemic metabolism. We investigated the safety of weekly oral fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) capsules from healthy lean donors and their ability to alter gut microbiota and improve metabolic outcomes in patients with obesity. Methods and findings FMT-TRIM was a 12-week double-blind randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial of oral FMT capsules performed at a single US academic medical center. Between August 2016 and April 2018, we randomized 24 adults with obesity and mild–moderate insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] between 2.0 and 8.0) to weekly healthy lean donor FMT versus placebo capsules for 6 weeks. The primary outcome, assessed by intention to treat, was change in insulin sensitivity between 0 and 6 weeks as measured by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps. Additional metabolic parameters were evaluated at 0, 6, and 12 weeks, including HbA1c, body weight, body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry. Fecal samples were serially collected and evaluated via 16S V4 rRNA sequencing. Our study population was 71% female, with an average baseline BMI of 38.8 ± 6.7 kg/m2 and 41.3 ± 5.1 kg/m2 in the FMT and placebo groups, respectively. There were no statistically significant improvements in insulin sensitivity in the FMT group compared to the placebo group (+5% ± 12% in FMT group versus −3% ± 32% in placebo group, mean difference 9%, 95% CI −5% to 28%, p = 0.16). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for most of the other secondary metabolic outcomes, including HOMA-IR (mean difference 0.2, 95% CI −0.9 to 0.9, p = 0.96) and body composition (lean mass mean difference −0.1 kg, 95% CI −1.9 to 1.6 kg, p = 0.87; fat mass mean difference 1.2 kg, 95% CI −0.6 to 3.0 kg, p = 0.18), over the 12-week study. We observed variable engraftment of donor bacterial groups among FMT recipients, which persisted throughout the 12-week study. There were no significant differences in adverse events (AEs) (10 versus 5, p = 0.09), and no serious AEs related to FMT. Limitations of this pilot study are the small sample size, inclusion of participants with relatively mild insulin resistance, and lack of concurrent dietary intervention. Conclusions Weekly administration of FMT capsules in adults with obesity results in gut microbiota engraftment in most recipients for at least 12 weeks. Despite engraftment, we did not observe clinically significant metabolic effects during the study. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02530385.
Measuring maximum oxygen uptake with an incremental swimming test and by chasing rainbow trout to exhaustion inside a respirometry chamber yield the same results.

We hypothesized that oxygen uptake (ṀO2 ) measured with a novel protocol of chasing rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to exhaustion inside a static respirometer while simultaneously monitoring ṀO2 (ṀO2chase ) would generate the same and repeatable peak value as when peak active ṀO2 (ṀO2active ) is measured in a critical swimming speed protocol. To reliably determine peak ṀO2chase , and the peak during recovery of ṀO2 following a conventional chase protocol outside the respirometer (ṀO2rec ), we applied an iterative algorithm and a minimum sampling window duration (i.e., 1 min based on an analysis of the variance in background and exercise ṀO2 ) to account for ṀO2 dynamics. In support of our hypothesis, peak ṀO2active (707 ± 33 mg O2 h-1 kg-1 ) and peak ṀO2chase (663 ± 43 mg O2 h-1 kg-1 ) were similar (P = 0.49) and repeatable (Pearson's and Spearman's correlation test; r ≥ 0.77; P < 0.05) when measured in the same fish. Therefore, we conclude that estimates of ṀO2max can be independent of whether a fish is exhaustively chased inside a respirometer or swum to fatigue in a swim tunnel, provided ṀO2 is analyzed with an iterative algorithm and a minimum but reliable sampling window. The importance of using this analytical approach was illustrated by peak ṀO2chase being 23% higher (P < 0.05) when compared to a conventional sequential interval regression analysis, while using the conventional chase protocol (1-min window) outside the respirometer increased this difference to 31% (P < 0.01). Moreover, because peak ṀO2chase was 18% higher (P < 0.05) than peak ṀO2rec , chasing a fish inside a static respirometer may be a better protocol for obtaining maximum ṀO2 . This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Gender differences in the effectiveness of public education messages aimed at smartphone use among young drivers

Abstract Objective: The main aim of this survey study was to evaluate the relative persuasiveness of three newly developed and piloted public education messages aimed at monitoring/reading social interactive technology on a smartphone among young male and female drivers. In accordance with the Step Approach to Message Design and Testing, the messages were evaluated on a number of outcome measures and also explored the influence of self-reported involvement in the target behavior. Methods: Participants (N = 152; 105 F) were aged 17 to 25 years (Mage = 20.14 years, SD = 2.35) and were randomly allocated to either an intervention (one of the three messages) or control (no message) condition. The messages in the intervention group were assessed on acceptance (i.e., behavioral intention and message effectiveness), rejection, and the third person effect (TPE) differential score (i.e., the message is perceived to be more effective for others than for themselves). Results: Hierarchical regression analyses found that, compared to males, females reported: a) lower intention to monitor/read social interactive technology on a smartphone while driving, b) lower rejection; and, c) lower TPE likelihood, irrespective of message. Conclusions: These findings suggest that young male drivers and young female drivers require different message content to be effective and support the importance of including multiple outcome measures to explain the messages’ persuasive effects.
Improved efficacy, tolerance, safety, and abuse liability profile of the combination of CR4056 and morphine over morphine alone in rodent models

Prolonged use of opioids causes analgesic tolerance and adverse effects including constipation and dependence. Compounds targeting imidazoline I2 receptors are known to potentiate opioid analgesia in rodents. We investigated whether combination with the I2 receptor ligand CR4056 could improve efficacy and safety of morphine and explored the mechanisms of the CR4056–opioid interaction.
Human Dermal Fibroblast Viability and Adhesion on Cellulose Nanomaterial Coatings: Influence of Surface Characteristics

Biodegradable and renewable materials, such as cellulose nanomaterials, have been studied as a replacement material for traditional plastics in the biomedical field. Furthermore, in chronic wound care, modern wound dressings, hydrogels, and active synthetic extracellular matrices promoting tissue regeneration are developed to guide cell growth and differentiation. Cells are guided not only by chemical cues but also through their interaction with the surrounding substrate and its physicochemical properties. Hence, the current work investigated plant-based cellulose nanomaterials and their surface characteristic effects on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) behavior. Four thin cellulose nanomaterial-based coatings produced from microfibrillar cellulose (MFC), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and two TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNF) with different total surface charge were characterized, and HDF viability and adhesion were evaluated. The highest viability and most stable adhesion were on the anionic CNF coating with a surface charge of 1.14 mmol/g. On MFC and CNC coated surfaces, HDFs sedimented but were unable to anchor to the substrate, leading to low viability.
Oxylipin Profiles as Functional Characteristics of Acute Inflammatory Responses in Astrocytes Pre-Treated with IL-4, IL-10, or LPS

Functional phenotypes, which cells can acquire depending on the microenvironment, are currently the focus of investigations into new anti-inflammatory therapeutic approaches. Glial cells, microglia, and astrocytes are major participants in neuroinflammation, but their roles differ, as microglia are cells of mesodermal origin, while astrocytes are cells of ectodermal origin. The inflammatory phenotype of cells can be modulated by ω-6- and ω-3-polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived oxylipins, although data on changes in oxylipin profiles in different cell adaptations to pro- and anti-inflammatory stimuli are scarce. Our study aimed to compare UPLC-MS/MS-measured oxylipin profiles in various rat astrocyte adaptation states. We used cells treated for 24 h with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for classical pro-inflammatory adaptation and with interleukin 4 (IL-4) or 10 (IL-10) for alternative anti-inflammatory adaptation, with the resulting phenotypes characterized by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). We also tested long-term, low-concentration LPS treatment (endotoxin treatment) as a model of astrocyte adaptations. The functional response of astrocytes was estimated by acute (4 h) LPS-induced cell reactivity, measured by gene expression markers and oxylipin synthesis. We discovered that, as well as gene markers, oxylipin profiles can serve as markers of pro- (A1-like) or anti-inflammatory (A2-like) adaptations. We observed predominant involvement of ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and the cyclooxygenase branch for classical (LPS) pro-inflammatory adaptations and ω-3 PUFA and the lipoxygenase branch for alternative (IL-4) anti-inflammatory adaptations. Treatment with IL-4, but not IL-10, primes the ability of astrocytes to activate the innate immunity signaling pathways in response to LPS. Endotoxin-treated astrocytes provide an alternative anti-inflammatory adaptation, which makes cells less sensitive to acute LPS stimulation than the IL-4 induced adaptation. Taken together, the data reveal that oxylipin profiles associate with different states of polarization to generate a pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory phenotype. This association manifests itself both in native cells and in their responses to a pro-inflammatory stimulus.
Using loss- and gain-of-function approaches to target amygdala-projecting serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus that enhance anxiety-related and conditioned fear behaviors

Background: The central serotonergic system originating from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) plays a critical role in anxiety and trauma-related disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Although many studies have investigated the role of serotonin (5-HT) within pro-fear brain regions such as the amygdala, the majority of these studies have utilized non-selective pharmacological approaches or poorly understood lesioning techniques which limit their interpretation. Aim: Here we investigated the role of amygdala-projecting 5-HT neurons in the DR in innate anxiety and conditioned fear behaviors. Methods: To achieve this goal, we utilized (1) selective lesion of 5-HT neurons projecting to the amygdala with saporin toxin conjugated to anti-serotonin transporter (SERT) injected into the amygdala, and (2) optogenetic excitation of amygdala-projecting DR cell bodies with a combination of a retrogradely transported canine adenovirus-expressing Cre-recombinase injected into the amygdala and a Cre-dependent-channelrhodopsin injected into the DR. Results: While saporin treatment lesioned both local amygdalar 5-HT fibers and neurons in the DR as well as reduced conditioned fear behavior, optical activation of amygdala-projecting DR neurons enhanced anxious behavior and conditioned fear response. Conclusion: Collectively, these studies support the hypothesis that amygdala-projecting 5-HT neurons in the DR represent an anxiety and fear-on network.
Substance use behaviors in adolescent and young adult cancer patients: Associations with mental and physical health

Cancer diagnosis in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) coincides with the developmental initiation of substance use and emergence of affective disturbance. We examined substance use behaviors and risk‐stratified associations with mental and physical health, as well as objective indicators of tobacco and cannabis use and concordance with self‐report and medical records.
A Lifespan Approach to Patient‐Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life for People on the Autism Spectrum

Autistic self‐advocates, family members, and community organizations have called for greater emphasis on enhancing quality of life (QoL) for people with autism. Doing this is critical to understand how QoL unfolds across the life course and to clarify whether gender affects QoL, health, and functioning for people with autism. The purpose of this study was to curate and test a lifespan QoL measurement tool using freely available and well‐constructed National Institutes of Health Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). To develop the PROMIS Autism Battery—Lifespan (PAB‐L), we identified PROMIS scales relevant for autism, reviewed each item, consulted with a panel of autism experts, and elicited feedback from autistic people and family members. This battery provides a comprehensive portrait of QoL for children ages 5–13 (through parent proxy), teens 14–17 (parent proxy and self‐report), and adults 18–65 (self‐report) with autism compared to the general population. Participants and parent informants (N = 912) recruited through a children's hospital and nationwide U.S. autism research registry completed the PAB‐L online. Results indicate that compared to general population norms, people with autism of all ages (or their proxies) reported less desirable outcomes and lower QoL across all domains. Women and girls experienced greater challenges in some areas compared to men and boys with autism. The PAB‐L appears to be a feasible and acceptable method for assessing patient‐reported outcomes and QoL for autistic people across the life course. Autism Res 2020, 13: 970‐987. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The comparison of morbid obesity quality of life and body image between surgery and other treatments: A case–control study

BACKGROUND: Morbid obesity is rising around the world. Surgery is a selective treatment intervention for it. Since most of the surgeons use weight loss for evaluating of the morbid obesity surgical outcomes and paying attention to the the quality of life (QOL) and body image evaluation are rare, this study aimed to assess the QOL and body image in pre- and postsurgery with other interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case–control study was done on 200 morbidly obese patients (n = 100 in each group) who referred to the obesity clinic in Shiraz. The data were collected by Body Image Concern Inventory and 12-item Short Form Survey. The data were analyzed by t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. P = 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: The paired t-test showed a significant difference in mean scores of body image (P < 0.001) and all dimensions of the QOL (P < 0.001) in the case and control groups. In the case group, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of the QOL and the different categories of body mass index (BMI) in postsurgery (P < 0.05) and the different mean scores of body image and the different categories of BMI in pre- and postsurgery wasn’t significant (P > 0.05). Age was a predictor variable for the QOL of morbidly obese persons after surgery (P < 0.001). After surgery, men showed better QOL than women (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Final results indicated that body image and QOL defects caused by obesity could be more improvement after surgery. This study can promote health-care team's knowledge about holistic supporting of all dimensions’ QOL of obese individuals. It is suggested that supporting interventions should be done as effective methods of maintenance for effects of weight loss methods such as surgery.
Assessing full thickness oral mucosal grafting: complications and postoperative outcomes in a broad collective of patients

Background Conjunctival defects can be repaired with several mucosal tissues. The simplicity of harvesting oral mucosa and its wide availability makes it the preferred graft tissue for all indications requiring mucosal grafting. Through analysing the postsurgical outcomes and rate of revisions, this study explores the suitability of oral mucosa grafts, depending on the initial diagnosis. Methods We reviewed all the files of patients with a history of oral mucosal graft surgery, performed at our clinic between 2012 and 2018, focusing on complications and revision rates. Results In total, we analysed 173 oral mucosa grafts in 131 patients. The most common initial diagnosis was tumour resection, followed by surgical complications, postenucleation socket syndrome, trauma and ocular surface disorders. Complication and revision rates depended highly on the initial diagnosis. Revision rates were highest if the initial diagnosis included ocular surface disorders or chemical trauma. Conclusions Oral mucosa grafting (OMG) is the most effective treatment for a wide range of ocular conditions involving conjunctival defects. Conjunctival defects that result from trauma or cicatricial surface diseases seem less suitable for OMG and may benefit from alternative graft tissue or treatment options.
Proactive control in the Stroop task: A conflict-frequency manipulation free of item-specific, contingency-learning, and color-word correlation confounds.

In the Stroop task, congruency effects (i.e., the color-naming latency difference between incongruent stimuli, e.g., the word BLUE written in the color red, and congruent stimuli, e.g., RED in red) are smaller in a list in which incongruent trials are frequent than in a list in which incongruent trials are infrequent. The traditional explanation for this pattern is that a conflict-monitoring mechanism adjusts attention to task-relevant versus task-irrelevant information in a proactive fashion based on list-wide conflict frequency. More recently, however, multiple alternative explanations have been advanced that could explain the pattern without invoking this form of proactive control: Individuals might only adapt to conflict frequency specific to individual items (as opposed to list-wide conflict frequency), they could learn word-color contingencies (e.g., how often a particular word and color are paired), or they could adapt attention based on whether the words are informative of the color (even if many word-color pairings are incongruent) in the list as a whole. To examine this issue, we designed a new paradigm that should eliminate any impact of these alternative mechanisms. In that paradigm, the proportion of neutral (e.g., XXX in red) and incongruent stimuli was manipulated across lists. Paralleling the results in the original paradigm, there was a smaller latency difference between incongruent and neutral stimuli in a list in which incongruent trials were frequent than in a list in which incongruent trials were infrequent, suggesting that proactive control in response to list-wide conflict frequency is a process humans can and do use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Nanoscale Quantum Thermal Conductance at Water Interface: Green’s Function Approach Based on One-Dimensional Phonon Model

We have derived the fundamental formula of phonon transport in water for the evaluation of quantum thermal conductance by using a one-dimensional phonon model based on the nonequilibrium Green’s function method. In our model, phonons are excited as quantum waves from the left or right reservoir and propagate from left to right of H2O layer or vice versa. We have assumed these reservoirs as being of periodic structures, whereas we can also model the H2O sandwiched between these reservoirs as having aperiodic structures of liquid containing N water molecules. We have extracted the dispersion curves from the experimental absorption spectra of the OH stretching and intermolecular modes of water molecules, and calculated phonon transmission function and quantum thermal conductance. In addition, we have simplified the formulation of the transmission function by employing a case of one water molecule (N=1). From this calculation, we have obtained the characteristic that the transmission probability is almost unity at the frequency bands of acoustic and optical modes, and the transmission probability vanishes by the phonon attenuation reflecting the quantum tunnel effect outside the bands of these two modes. The classical limit of the thermal conductance calculated by our formula agreed with the literature value (order of 10−10 W/K) in high temperature regime (>300 K). The present approach is powerful enough to be applicable to molecular systems containing proteins as well, and to evaluate their thermal conductive characteristics.
AIG1 and ADTRP are endogenous hydrolases of fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) in mice

Fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) are a newly discovered class of signaling lipids with anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties. However, the endogenous regulation of FAHFAs remains a pressing but unanswered question. Here, using MS-based FAHFA hydrolysis assays, LC-MS–based lipidomics analyses, and activity-based protein profiling, we found that androgen-induced gene 1 (AIG1) and androgen-dependent TFPI-regulating protein (ADTRP), two threonine hydrolases, control FAHFA levels in vivo in both genetic and pharmacologic mouse models. Tissues from mice lacking ADTRP (Adtrp-KO), or both AIG1 and ADTRP (DKO) had higher concentrations of FAHFAs particularly isomers with the ester bond at the 9th carbon due to decreased FAHFA hydrolysis activity. The levels of other lipid classes were unaltered indicating that AIG1 and ADTRP specifically hydrolyze FAHFAs. Complementing these genetic studies, we also identified a dual AIG1/ADTRP inhibitor, ABD-110207, which is active in vivo. Acute treatment of WT mice with ABD-110207 resulted in elevated FAHFA levels, further supporting the notion that AIG1 and ADTRP activity control endogenous FAHFA levels. However, loss of AIG1/ADTRP did not mimic the changes associated with pharmacologically administered FAHFAs on extent of upregulation of FAHFA levels, glucose tolerance, or insulin sensitivity in mice, indicating that therapeutic strategies should weigh more on FAHFA administration. Together, these findings identify AIG1 and ADTRP as the first endogenous FAHFA hydrolases identified and provide critical genetic and chemical tools for further characterization of these enzymes and endogenous FAHFAs to unravel their physiological functions and roles in health and disease.