Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dopaminergic neurotransmission in ventral and dorsal striatum differentially modulates alcohol reinforcement

Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the striatum has been widely implicated in the reinforcing properties of substances of abuse. However, the striatum is functionally heterogeneous, and previous work has mostly focused on psychostimulant drugs. Therefore, we investigated how dopamine within striatal subregions modulates alcohol‐directed behaviour in rats. We assessed the effects of infusion of the dopamine receptor antagonist alpha‐flupenthixol into the shell and core of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) on responding for alcohol under fixed ratio 1 (FR1) and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement. Bilateral infusion of alpha‐flupenthixol into the NAcc shell reduced responding for alcohol under both the FR1 (15 μg/side) and the PR schedule (3.75–15 μg/side) of reinforcement. Infusion of alpha‐flupenthixol into the NAcc core (7.5–15 μg/side) also decreased responding for alcohol under both schedules. By contrast, alpha‐flupenthixol infusion into the DLS did not affect FR1 responding, but reduced responding under the PR schedule (15 μg/side). The decreases in responding were related to earlier termination of responding during the session, whereas the onset and rate of responding remained largely unaffected. Together, these data suggest that dopamine in the NAcc shell is involved in the incentive motivation for alcohol, whereas DLS dopamine comes into play when obtaining alcohol requires high levels of effort. In contrast, NAcc core dopamine appears to play a more general role in alcohol reinforcement. In conclusion, dopaminergic neurotransmission acts in concert in subregions of the striatum to modulate different aspects of alcohol‐directed behaviour.
Trachypithecus delacouri (Primates: Cercopithecidae)

Abstract Trachypithecus delacouri (Osgood, 1932), commonly called Delacour's langur or lutung, is a black and white lutung (leaf monkey) endemic to northern Vietnam. It is a diurnal and primarily arboreal species, but spends more time on the ground than other species of Trachypithecus. T. delacouri lives among limestone cliffs and consumes the leaves of a broad spectrum of plant species but its choice of food items tends to be based on the chemical makeup of the plant phenophases with protein content the strongest predictor of leaf selection. Territorial, but with overlapping territories, it usually lives in single-male–multifemale groups of 5–30, although 2 adult males may be present. With a declining population perhaps as low as 200 individuals in 17 or fewer isolated populations, it is 1 of the world's most endangered primates.
Musculoskeletal symptoms among hospital cleaners

ABSTRACT Studies have indicated that cleaners are at risk for musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS). In 2001, the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate suggested improvements in cleaners' work environment to reduce MSS. We estimate prevalence of MSS among cleaners in a Norwegian hospital that had implemented improvements to reduce risk of MSS and calculate relative risk of MSS among cleaners compared to a group of office workers. Data were collected from 255 participants. MSS were investigated using the Nordic Questionnaire for Analysis of Musculoskeletal Symptoms. Cleaners reported a significantly higher prevalence of MSS compared to office workers but a lower prevalence compared to similar studies among cleaners in other countries. This may indicate that working conditions in Norway are better than in other countries; further studies are needed to compare MSS and working conditions in different settings.
Conformational gating of dimannose binding to the antiviral protein cyanovirin revealed from the crystal structure at 1.35 Å resolution

Cyanovirin (CV‐N) is a small lectin with potent HIV neutralization activity, which could be exploited for a mucosal defense against HIV infection. The wild‐type (wt) protein binds with high affinity to mannose‐rich oligosaccharides on the surface of gp120 through two quasi‐symmetric sites, located in domains A and B. We recently reported on a mutant of CV‐N that contained a single functional mannose‐binding site, domain B, showing that multivalent binding to oligomannosides is necessary for antiviral activity. The structure of the complex with dimannose determined at 1.8 Å resolution revealed a different conformation of the binding site than previously observed in the NMR structure of wt CV‐N. Here, we present the 1.35 Å resolution structure of the complex, which traps three different binding conformations of the site and provides experimental support for a locking and gating mechanism in the nanoscale time regime observed by molecular dynamics simulations.
Hypertension management in the digital era

Purpose of review Hypertension (HTN) is the most common chronic disease in the United States, and the standard model of office-based care delivery continues to yield suboptimal outcomes, with approximately 50% of affected patients not achieving blood pressure (BP) control. Poor population-level BP control has been primarily attributed to therapeutic inertia and low patient engagement resulting in significant and preventable morbidity and mortality. This review will highlight the rationale for a reengineered model of care delivery for populations with HTN. Recent findings New technologies now enable patients to generate accurate home-based BP readings that are transmitted directly into the electronic medical record. Using more frequent BP measurements in conjunction with assessment of social health determinants, computerized algorithms can be generated that provide tailored interventions and communications that can transform HTN control. Summary New capabilities enable healthcare providers the means to measure larger volumes of BP data directly from home and provide near real-time interventions that can dramatically improve HTN control.
Is cross regulation by phosphorylation of two-component response regulator proteins important in bacteria?

A large family of structurally and functionally similar two-component regulatory systems exists in bacteria. In general, these systems consist of pairs of partner proteins called sensors and response regulators. Sensors are important in signal transduction and share sequence similarities at the protein level. They probably all act as histidine protein kinases that can phosphorylate themselves and as phosphotransferases that can interact with and phosphorylate partner regulators, which also share sequence similarities among themselves. Sensors detect extracellular (environmental) or intracellular stimuli and transfer signals to response regulators by phosphorylation, a process that in turn controls the activity of regulators of chemotaxis and gene expression. In addition, response regulators may receive input signals from different regulatory systems, which in at least one case involves a sensor kinase that is a member of another two-component regulatory system. "Cross regulation" may be a form of control of response regulators by a signal that does not involve phosphorylation by Its partner sensor. Such regulatory interactions may be especially important as a way of directly linking different systems in a network to coordinate cell growth and metabolism. In this minireview I will describe evidence for what may be examples of cross regulation in bacterial twocomponent regulatory systems. I will primarily describe examples of systems that control gene expression in Escherichia coli or Salmonella typhimurium. Two-component regulatory systems, signal transduction, and protein phosphorylation in bacteria have been reviewed elsewhere (2, 5, 6, 13, 26, 32, 37, 38).
Agricultural seed dust as a potential cause of organic dust toxic syndrome

Aims: Episodes of serious work related health problems resembling organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS) in workers of a grass seed quality inspection laboratory prompted the authors to study personal endotoxin exposure levels in this facility and in the agricultural seed processing industry. In addition, microbial and inflammatory characteristics of agricultural seeds were studied. Methods: The authors assessed inhalable dust and endotoxin levels in 101 samples from 57 workers in grass, cereal, and vegetable seed plants who were handling mainly grass seeds as bulk product, and horticulture seeds in smaller quantities. Additionally, real-time dust exposure was measured using a DataRAM monitor in 12 grass seed workers to obtain more information on exposure patterns during specific tasks. Endotoxin concentrations in seed extracts were determined by LAL assay and seed samples were analysed by scanning electron microscopy. Release of inflammatory cytokines was measured in supernatants of whole blood samples stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or agricultural seed extracts in a human whole blood assay (WBA). Results: Endotoxin concentrations in personal samples were high (geometric mean 1800 EU/m3), particularly in the grass seed quality inspection lab where endotoxin levels up to 274 000 EU/m3 were measured. The recommended health based endotoxin exposure limit of 50 EU/m3 was amply exceeded in almost all personal samples. Job tasks dumping and mixing were associated with highest dust and endotoxin exposures, which was confirmed by real-time measurements. Microbial infestation was found in almost all seed samples. WBA results showed that most seed extracts were capable of inducing a pronounced dose dependent cytokine release. Conclusions: Workers handling grass, cereal, or vegetable seeds are at risk of exposure to high levels of endotoxin containing seed dust. Occupational exposure to inhalable agricultural seed dust can induce inflammatory responses, and is a potential cause of ODTS.
Excess occurrence of cancer of the oral cavity, lung, and bladder following cancer of the cervix

The risk of developing a second cancer among white and black females with an initial cancer of the uterine cervix or corpus has been estimated based on the experience of the Charity Hospital of Louisiana Tumor Registry, a participant of the End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute. Observed second primary cancers were compared to expected numbers in order to obtain a direct estimate of risk. White females having an initial cancer of the cervix had a 5‐to‐6‐fold excess risk of developing a subsequent cancer of the oral pharynx, lung, or bladder during the first 5 years following their initial cancer with no excess risk during subsequent years. Black females with cervical cancer had a 3.5‐fold excess risk for developing oral cavity and lung cancer. There was no excess risk for developing subsequent cancer of the breast or large intestine, but a slight excess risk for developing subsequent cancer of the ano‐rectum. There was a 7% excess risk among both whites and blacks with initial cancer of the corpus uteri of subsequently developing another cancer.
Long-Term Effects of Wildfire on Ecosystem Properties Across an Island Area Gradient

Boreal forest soils play an important role in the global carbon cycle by functioning as a large terrestrial carbon sink or source, and the alteration of fire regime through global change phenomena may influence this role. We studied a system of forested lake islands in the boreal zone of Sweden for which fire frequency increases with increasing island size. Large islands supported higher plant productivity and litter decomposition rates than did smaller ones, and, with increasing time since fire, litter decomposition rates were suppressed sooner than was ecosystem productivity. This contributes to greater carbon storage with increasing time since fire; for every century without a major fire, an additional 0.5 kilograms per square meter of carbon becomes stored in the humus.
Use of treatment algorithms for depression.

Dr. Trivedi: The effectiveness of treatment algorithms rests on 3 principles. The 3 broad categories requiring special attention are (1) the determination of the need for sequential treatment algorithms; (2) what should be the placement of various treatment interventions in treatment algorithms with sequenced treatments, e.g., at what point should combination treatments and somatic treatments be included; and finally, (3) what the process or procedure is to implement algorithms in the clinical setting, e.g., the use of recently developed measurement-based care. Dr. Osser: It is clear to me that there are significant differences between the likely outcome of people receiving treatment as usual (TAU) as opposed to algorithm-driven treatment. In the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP), that difference was seen primarily in the first 3 months. An important factor in that difference was that the care coordinator identified patients who were not doing well and needed to move to the next step in the algorithm. For the next 9 months of the TMAP study, there was no widening of the difference between the algorithm group and the TAU group, suggesting that, from that point on, both groups did reasonably well (Figure 1). Dr. Trivedi: There is also evidence in primary care from Katon and colleagues, which showed that guideline-driven care produces better outcome than TAU. Unutzer and coworkers found similar results. All of these studies have used care coordinators in the algorithm-driven treatment groups. The question becomes whether the better outcomes are related to the use of the care coordinator. Dr. Shelton: Dr. Trivedi, according to your TMAP article from 2004, I agree that the first quarter is where the majority of change happens, but if you look at the end of a year of treatment, there still is a substantial difference between the TAU and the algorithm treatment patients. TAU patients did not catch up by the end of a year (see Figure 1), but the differences that are achieved are achieved primarily up front and then maintained throughout the year. Dr. Marangell: The data are fairly consistent in showing that algorithms result in not just better response rates, but improved patient satisfaction as well. Katon et al. found that response rates were 74% with the algorithm versus 44% with TAU and that patients who received algorithmdriven treatment were more likely than patients who received TAU to rate their quality of care as good or excellent (93% vs. 75%). Dr. Fava: If you ask me whether there is a need for treatment algorithms in depression, I would say absolutely, but I question if we truly Use of Treatment Algorithms for Depression
Quality of Sexual Life and Satisfaction in Female Partners of Men with ED: Psychometric Validation of the Index of Sexual Life (ISL) Questionnaire

Effective treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED) are available, however, reestablishing erectile function does not necessarily reestablish a satisfying sexual relationship. To assess broader influences on treatment discontinuation than pure efficacy, we developed and psychometrically validated the Index of Sexual Life (ISL) to measure the impact of ED on female partners' sexuality. This 11-item instrument measures sexual life satisfaction, sexual drive and general life satisfaction. Good construct validity, criterion validity, and reproducibility were demonstrated. Female partners of men with ED report significantly lower levels of sexual satisfaction and sexual drive than those without ED. The ISL is successfully validated.
Why is there variation in baseline glucocorticoid levels ?

In a recent article in TREE, Bonier and colleagues [1] reviewed the support for the Cort-Fitness Hypothesis, which states that baseline glucocorticoid (cort) levels are elevated in individuals, or populations, that experience challenging conditions, therefore signalling low future fitness. The idea is that the optimal level of resources allocated towards self-maintenance (immediate survival) versus long-term survival and/or reproduction differs across environments, with selection favouring individuals investing in self-maintenance when the environment becomes ‘challenging. ’ The hypothesis states that this reallocation of resources can be achieved by altering baseline levels of cort. Their literature review did not support the hypothesis, as it revealedmuch variation in sign and shape of the relationship between cort and residual fitness within and across species, populations, and life-history stages [1]. We here propose that the inability to find unequivocal support for the Cort-Fitness Hypothesis is a side effect of Bonier et al.’s implicit assumption that individual variance components can be ignored when testing evolutionary hypotheses, a phenomenon recently coined the ‘tyranny of the Golden Mean’ [2]. Bonier et al. assume that animals react to environmental change by altering their phenotype, and that this response is adaptive. Selection would have favoured a particular relationship between cort and environmental quality. Such a relationship can be viewed as a line (Figure 1a) characterised by a certain elevation and slope, often called a ‘reaction norm’ [3]. If all individuals had the same reaction norm, the Cort-Fitness Hypothesis could be tested using a cross-sectional approach, where residual fitness is compared across individuals showing low versus high levels of cort [1], the approach taken in the review.
Biodegradable scaffolds – delivery systems for cell therapies

The use of cells as therapies for disease, repair and regeneration of tissues is one of the new challenges in modern therapeutics. To facilitate the ability to localise, condition and protect cells, biodegradable scaffolds are being developed that will improve the efficiency of these treatments. Thus, cell delivery systems, either scaffolds or capsules, play a pivotal role in the success of these techniques. This review discusses these novel approaches. The selection of scaffold materials is addressed alongside issues of biocompatibility. The current research developments in smart scaffolds, which focus on the formation of biomimetic scaffolds, new fabrication techniques capable of controlling architecture and microstructure of scaffolds, and the production of injectable and in situ crosslinked scaffolds, are outlined. Finally, the continuing challenges that will drive future research in the cell therapies are highlighted.
RETENTION AID POLYMER INTERACTIONS WITH CELLULOSIC SURFACES AND SUSPENSIONS: A REVIEW

Retention aids can be defined as very-high-mass, water-soluble polymers that are added to cellulosic fiber slurries before the formation of paper in order to improve the efficiency with which fine particles, including cellulosic fines, are retained in the paper product. Optimization of retention aid performance can be a key to achieving efficient and environmentally responsible papermaking objectives. This article reviews various published theories related to retention aid use. Findings related to three main classes of retention aid polymers are considered: cationic acrylamide copolymers (cPAM), anionic acrylamide copolymers (aPAM), and polyethylene oxide (PEO). While many aspects of the interactions of each of these classes of retention aid products can be understood based on colloid chemistry principles, further research is needed in order to more fully bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Prediction of individual clinical outcome in MCI by means of genetic assessment and (18)F-FDG PET.

UNLABELLED Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represent a risk population for progressing to dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). However, clinical criteria do not ensure reliable individual prognosis in these patients. The objective of this longitudinal, prospective study was to examine the value of (18)F-FDG PET of cerebral glucose metabolism and of genetic susceptibility, as defined by an APOEepsilon4-positive genotype, with regard to the early diagnosis of DAT in patients with MCI. METHODS In 30 patients with the diagnosis of MCI (16 female, 14 male; age, 70 +/- 8 y), baseline and follow-up examinations (mean observation period, 16 mo) were performed. In all patients, the APOE genotype was assessed and cerebral glucose metabolism was evaluated at baseline using cranial (18)F-FDG PET. Individual PET data were screened for findings suggestive of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with the help of an automated computer program. After stereotactical normalization of the PET images, this program performs an observer-independent statistical comparison with an age-matched reference database (n = 22). RESULTS In 43% of all MCI subjects, a PET scan suggestive of AD pathology according to our predefined criteria was observed at baseline (PET+); 57% of all MCI patients were carriers of the APOE epsilon4 allele (e4+). In 40% of all patients, progression of symptoms within the observation period justified the clinical diagnosis of probable DAT at the time of follow-up reevaluation. Statistical evaluation revealed the best results for PET with regard to early diagnosis of DAT in MCI patients (sensitivity, 92%; specificity, 89%). Classification according to the APOE genotype was significantly less successful (sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 56%). However, a combination of both diagnostic tests allowed early diagnosis with either very high specificity (PET+ AND e4+: sensitivity, 67%; specificity, 100%) or very high sensitivity (PET+ OR e4+: sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 44%). CONCLUSION (18)F-FDG PET of cerebral glucose metabolism is a valuable diagnostic tool for the prediction of clinical outcome in individual MCI patients. Results are superior to the exclusive assessment of the APOE genotype. A combination of both functional imaging and genotyping may allow an early high-risk or low-risk stratification of patients with either very high sensitivity or very high specificity. This may be valuable, for example, for patient selection in scientific studies.
Cardiac-Specific Overexpression of GLUT1 Prevents the Development of Heart Failure Attributable to Pressure Overload in Mice

Background—Increased rates of glucose uptake and glycolysis have been repeatedly observed in cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Although these changes have been considered part of the fetal gene reactivation program, the functional significance of increased glucose utilization in hypertrophied and failing myocardium is poorly understood. Methods and Results—We generated transgenic (TG) mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of insulin-independent glucose transporter GLUT1 to recapitulate the increases in basal glucose uptake rate observed in hypertrophied hearts. Isolated perfused TG hearts showed a greater rate of basal glucose uptake and glycolysis than hearts isolated from wild-type littermates, which persisted after pressure overload by ascending aortic constriction (AAC). The in vivo cardiac function in TG mice, assessed by echocardiography, was unaltered. When subjected to AAC, wild-type mice exhibited a progressive decline in left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening accompanied by ventricular dilation and decreased phosphocreatine to ATP ratio and reached a mortality rate of 40% at 8 weeks. In contrast, TG-AAC mice maintained LV function and phosphocreatine to ATP ratio and had <10% mortality. Conclusions—We found that increasing insulin-independent glucose uptake and glycolysis in adult hearts does not compromise cardiac function. Furthermore, we demonstrate that increasing glucose utilization in hypertrophied hearts protects against contractile dysfunction and LV dilation after chronic pressure overload.