Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Puberty as a highly vulnerable developmental period for the consequences of cannabis exposure

During puberty, neuronal maturation of the brain, which began during perinatal development, is completed such that the behavioral potential of the adult organism can be fully achieved. These maturational events and processes of reorganization are needed for the occurrence of adult behavioral performance but simultaneously render the organism highly susceptible to perturbations, such as exposure to psychoactive drugs, during this critical developmental time span. Considering the variety of maturational processes occurring in the endocannabinoid system during this critical period, it is not surprising that the still‐developing brain might by highly susceptible to cannabis exposure. Emerging evidence from human studies and animal research demonstrates that an early onset of cannabis consumption might have lasting consequences on cognition, might increase the risk for neuropsychiatric disorders, promote further illegal drug intake and increase the likelihood of cannabis dependence. These findings suggest that young people represent a highly vulnerable cannabis consumer group and that they run a higher risk than adult consumers of suffering from adverse consequences from cannabinoid exposure. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview over the possible deleterious residual cannabinoid effects during critical periods of postnatal maturation and to offer a more precise delineation of the vulnerable time window for cannabinoid exposure.
Anatomical and histological structure of the tongue and histochemical characteristics of the lingual salivary glands in the Chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar, Gray 1830)

1. The aim of the study was to examine the morphology of the tongue and the histochemical features of the lingual salivary glands in this species. 2. The tongue was elongated, terminating in a rather sharp, dagger-like apex. On the surface of the tongue and situated between the body and root of the tongue, two rows of conical papillae, the sharp apices of which pointed towards the posterior part of the tongue, were observed. The keratinised epithelium lining the dorsal surface lacked typical gustatory papillae. However, it was observed that taste buds were present in the epithelium of the lingual body and root. The tongue was supported by a structure composed of hyaline cartilage, the paraglossum, which extended from the lingual root to the apex. Simple branched tubular glands, which were encapsulated by connective tissue, were embedded within the submucosa in the body (anterior salivary glands) and root (posterior salivary glands) of the tongue. It was observed that the secretion of the lingual glands contained neutral mucins, proteoglycans containing carboxylic acid, weak and strong sulphated groups, N-acetylated sialomucins, but lacked glycogen. 3. It was demonstrated that, the general morphological features, papillary distribution of the tongue and the histological structure of the mucosa epithelium and the supportive elements displayed similarity to those of other domestic avian species. It was also determined that, in view of the particular feeding types, in the partridge, the presence of the papillary crest was not correlated with diet.
Evaluating the impact of excess dietary tryptophan on laying performance and immune function of laying hens reared under hot and humid summer conditions

1. Tryptophan (Trp), besides its role as an essential amino acid in protein synthesis, may also have other important effects on laying hens under summer conditions. 2. Babcock Brown layers (n = 768), 40 weeks of age, were allocated to 4 treatment groups, each of which included 6 replicates of 32 hens. Each group received the same basal diet, formulated with maize and soybean meal, for 8 weeks. Hens were fed on the basal diet with 0·0, 0·2, 0·4, and 0·8 g/kg L-Trp to achieve dietary concentrations of 1·7, 1·9 g/kg, 2·1 g/kg or 2·5 g/kg of Trp, respectively. 3. Supplementing L-Trp had no affect on laying performance. Adding 0·2 or 0·4 g/kg L-Trp improved egg shell strength compared with those fed on the control diet. Serum albumin concentration increased at 0·4 g/kg compared with those receiving 0·0 or 0·8 g/kg Trp. The addition of Trp at 0·4 g/kg increased serum IgM concentration quadratically. Serum superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) increased linearly and quadratically at 0·4 g/kg. 4. In conclusion, we suggest that 0·2 to 0·4 g/kg Trp may have beneficial effects on laying hens under conditions of high temperature and humidity.
Cost of primary health care in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2006-2008

Introduction. Primary health care in the Republic of Serbia is predominantly funded by the Republic Health Insurance Fund (RHIF). From the total income of health centers and institutes at the primary level, with no pharmacy and pharmacies (Kosovo excluded), 84% in 2008 was paid by RHIF. Frequency of participation ranged from 63-95% and it was stable in all observed years. The aim of this study was to determine the expenditures for primary health care for each insured person in statistically defined districts in the Republic of Serbia, with an emphasis on prevention participation. Material and Methods. Retrospective and comparative analysis of health statistics from the database of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia (IPHS) and financial data from the RHIF for the period 2006-2008 was done. Results. Observed by the districts in 2008, in Vojvodina, the lowest expenditure for primary health care had North Backa District (5,207 RSD) and greatest was in West Backa District (6,632 RSD) per capita. In the central Serbia territorial difference was much greater, ranging from 3,574 RSD in the District Morava to 6,701 RSD per capita in the District Toplica and Nisava. Expenditures for direct health care of RHIF per capita in the reporting period continuously have grown. Conclusion. The results showed that the largest cost for primary care for the insured person in the districts of Serbia was registered in the Nisava and Toplica (6,701 RSD) and lowest in the district of Morava (3,574 RSD) per capita.
Repeated moderate‐dose ethanol bouts impair cognitive function in Wistar rats

The effects of repeated, intermittent administration of a moderate dose of ethanol (3.4 g/kg/day × 6 days, intragastrically via gavages) on cognitive function were examined in male Wistar rats. No significant differences in weight gain between the ethanol‐ and water‐treated rats were found. Analysis of physical dependence revealed no signs of spontaneous withdrawal, whereas withdrawal signs exacerbated by Ro15‐4513, an inverse benzodiazepine agonist, were apparent 5 hours but not 24 hours after the cessation of ethanol treatment. Spatial learning and memory, as assessed in the Barnes maze, were impaired 3–6 days following the treatment but recovered by the 11th–14th days. Reversal learning, however, was impaired throughout the 2‐week observation period. Thus, bouts of moderate‐dose ethanol administration transiently impair spatial learning and memory, and promote cognitive inflexibility. The employed ethanol exposure paradigm may provide a model of human cognitive deficits associated with alcohol binge drinking.
The relationship of plumage colours with MC1R (Melanocortin 1 Receptor) and ASIP (Agouti Signaling Protein) in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

1. The relationship of polymorphisms in the Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) and Agouti Signalling Protein (ASIP) genes with plumage colour in Japanese quail was investigated by cloning and sequencing the entire coding regions from black, white and maroon Japanese quail embryos at 12 d of incubation. 2. Three SNPs were identified in the MC1R coding region by multiple alignment of sequences from individuals with different plumage colours. A missense C/T mutation located at 169 bp within the Open Reading Frame caused a Ile57Val mutation in the amino acid sequence, and had a significant relationship with the black colour. 3. The expression of MC1R was higher in black plumage quails than that in maroon plumage quails, whereas the expression of ASIP was higher in maroon plumage quails than that in black plumage quails. 4. It is concluded that the black plumage colour in Japanese quails may be caused by either increased production of MC1R or decreased production of ASIP.
P50 sensory gating and smoking in the general population

P50 gating is a major functional biomarker in research on schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions with high smoking prevalence. It is used as endophenotype for studying nicotinic systems genetics and as surrogate endpoint measure for drug development of nicotinic agonists. Surprisingly, little is known about P50 gating in the general population and the relationship to smoking‐related characteristics. In this multicenter study at six academic institutions throughout Germany, n = 907 never‐smokers (NS < 20 cigarettes/lifetime), n = 463 light smokers (LS) with Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) ≥ 4 and n = 353 heavy smokers (HS, FTND < 4) were randomly selected from the general population. As part of a standardized protocol for investigating the genetics of nicotine dependence (ND), an auditory P50 paradigm was applied. The main outcome measure was P50‐amplitude difference followed by time‐frequency analyses and functional imaging (sLORETA). Reduced P50 gating was found in HS compared to NS with LS taking an intermediate position—correlating with the degree of ND. sLORETA and time‐frequency analyses indicate that high‐frequency oscillations in frontal brain regions are particularly affected. With growing age, P50 gating increased in (heavy) smokers. This is the first large‐scale study (normative sample data) on P50 sensory gating and smoking in the general population. Diminished gating of P50 and associated high‐frequency oscillations in the frontal brain region are indications of a deficient inhibitory cortical function in nicotine‐dependent smokers. The suitability and application of sensory P50 gating as functional biomarker with regard to genetic and pharmacological studies is discussed.
The effect of dietary supplementation with phytase transgenic maize and different concentrations of non-phytate phosphorus on the performance of laying hens

Abstract 1. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with phytase transgenic corn (maize) (PTC) which has a phytase activity of 21 000 units (U) phytase per kg of maize on productive performance, egg quality, tibia bone quality and phosphorus (P) excretion in laying hens. 2. In the experiment, 1800 44-week-old Hy-line brown laying hens were divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates per group and 60 hens per replicate. The experiment lasted for 12 weeks. The layers in the control group (control) were given a basal diet with 0.36% non-phytate P (NPP), while the treatment groups received diets containing 360 U of exogenous phytase/kg with 0.26% NPP (EP) or 360 phytase U of PTC/kg diet with 0.26% (PTC1), 0.21% (PTC2) or 0.16% (PTC3) NPP. 3. The results showed that there was no significant difference in egg production, average daily feed intake, feed efficiency, rate of broken or soft-shell egg production or egg mass among the treatments. There was no significant difference in eggshell thickness or eggshell strength. On the other hand, no differences in any of the bone variables were found between treatments. The faecal P percentage content in EP, PTC1, PTC2 and PTC3 groups was significantly lower than the control group. 4. In summary, the PTC could be used in the feed of laying hens instead of EP to reduce P excretion without effecting production and bone mineralisation.
Prevalence and causes of blindness and Low Vision in Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia lacked accurate recent national estimates of blindness and low vision. Therefore, prevention and control programs face serious problem of lack of recognition of the problem and challenges in tracking achievements towards program goals. Objective: To determine the prevalence of blindness and low vision at the national and regional levels in Ethiopia. Method: A national survey was conducted on a representative population in all nine regional states and two city administrations of the country. The LogMar chart was used to determine the presenting visual acuity and ophthalmologists determined the primary cause of low vision and blindness. Results: Based on the assessment of the presenting visual acuity, the national prevalence of blindness is 1.6% (1.1% for urban and 1.6% for rural populations) and that of low vision is 3.7% (2.6% for urban and 3.8% for rural populations). Blindness and Low vision are more prevalent among females. The major causes of blindness are cataract and trachomatous corneal opacity. The major causes of low vision are cataract and refractive error. Prevalence of childhood blindness is 0.1% and accounts for over 6% of the total blindness burden in Ethiopia. The national prevalence of Bitot\'s spots is 0.7%. Conclusion: Blindness and low vision are major public health problems in Ethiopia. The large proportion of low vision (91.2%) and blindness (87.4%) are due to avoidable (either preventable or treatable) causes. Females and rural residents carry greater risk for eye problems. Adequate emphasis needs to be given to prevent blindness among children and avert millions of years of unnecessary blindness. Recognizing the severity of the magnitude of eye problems (blindness and low vision) and enhancing the government commitment to improve the situation is critical. Ethiopian Journal of Health Development Vol. 21 (3) 2007: pp. 204-210
Direct supplementation of diet is the most efficient way of enriching broiler meat with n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

Abstract 1. Concentrations of beneficial omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) in poultry meat can be improved by increasing the concentration of n-3 PUFA in poultry diets. 2. A decrease in flavour quality is, however, usually associated with the dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFA, which is due to the susceptibility of PUFA to oxidation. 3. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of introducing two different n-3 fatty acid sources (extruded linseed and DHA Gold™, a proprietary algal product rich in docosahexaenoic acid), either separately or together, on broiler productive performance, and meat quality, oxidative stability, sensory traits and LC-PUFA profile. 4. Birds given the algal product displayed better productive performances than animals from other groups. 5. The data revealed an improvement in the fatty acid nutritional value of meat from birds receiving the algal product and an inefficient conversion of α-linolenic acid (LNA) into LC-PUFA. 6. Metabolisation of LNA in vivo is not sufficient to improve meat quality in n-3 LC-PUFA and direct supplementation of the diet with n-3 LC-PUFA is a better alternative to modulate an increase in beneficial fatty acids of broiler meat. 7. The overall acceptability of meat was negatively affected by the dietary supplementation with 7.4% of DHA, in contrast to the supplementation with 3.7% of DHA, which showed to be efficient in improving LC-PUFA meat content without affecting its sensory properties.
Chemosensory responsiveness to ethanol and its individual sensory components in alcohol‐preferring, alcohol‐nonpreferring and genetically heterogeneous rats

Alcohol activates orosensory circuits that project to motivationally relevant limbic forebrain areas that control appetite, feeding and drinking. To date, limited data exists regarding the contribution of chemosensory‐derived ethanol reinforcement to ethanol preference and consumption. Measures of taste reactivity to intra‐orally infused ethanol have not found differences in initial orofacial responses to alcohol between alcohol‐preferring (P) and alcohol‐non‐preferring (NP) genetically selected rat lines. Yet, in voluntary intake tests, P rats prefer highly concentrated ethanol upon initial exposure, suggesting an early sensory‐mediated attraction. Here, we directly compared self‐initiated chemosensory responding for alcohol and prototypic sweet, bitter and oral trigeminal stimuli among selectively bred P, NP and non‐selected Wistar (WI) outbred lines to determine whether differential sensory responsiveness to ethanol and its putative sensory components are phenotypically associated with genetically influenced alcohol preference. Rats were tested for immediate short‐term lick responses to alcohol (3–40%), sucrose (0.01–1 M), quinine (0.01–3 mM) and capsaicin (0.003–1 mM) in a brief‐access assay designed to index orosensory‐guided behavior. P rats exhibited elevated short‐term lick responses to both alcohol and sucrose relative to NP and WI lines across a broad range of concentrations of each stimulus and in the absence of blood alcohol levels that would produce significant post‐absorptive effects. There was no consistent relationship between genetically mediated alcohol preference and orosensory avoidance of quinine or capsaicin. These data indicate that enhanced initial chemosensory attraction to ethanol and sweet stimuli are phenotypes associated with genetic alcohol preference and are considered within the framework of downstream activation of oral appetitive reward circuits.
Widespread and sustained cognitive deficits in alcoholism: a meta‐analysis

The cognitive repercussions of alcohol dependence are well documented. However, the literature remains somewhat ambiguous with respect to which distinct cognitive functions are more susceptible to impairment in alcoholism and to how duration of abstinence affects cognitive recovery. Some theories claim alcohol negatively affects specific cognitive functions, while others assert that deficits are more diffuse in nature. This is the first meta‐analysis to examine cognition in alcohol abuse/dependence and the duration of abstinence necessary to achieve cognitive recovery. A literature search yielded 62 studies that assessed cognitive dysfunction among alcoholics. Effect size estimates were calculated using the Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis V2, for the following 12 cognitive domains: intelligence quotient, verbal fluency/language, speed of processing, working memory, attention, problem solving/executive functions, inhibition/impulsivity, verbal learning, verbal memory, visual learning, visual memory and visuospatial abilities. Within these 12 domains, three effect size estimates were calculated based on abstinence duration. The three groups were partitioned into short‐ (<1 month), intermediate‐ (2 to 12 months) and long‐ (>1 year) term abstinence. Findings revealed moderate impairment across 11 cognitive domains during short‐term abstinence, with moderate impairment across 10 domains during intermediate term abstinence. Small effect size estimates were found for long‐term abstinence. These results suggest significant impairment across multiple cognitive functions remains stable during the first year of abstinence from alcohol. Generally, dysfunction abates by 1 year of sobriety. These findings support the diffuse brain hypothesis and suggest that cognitive dysfunction may linger for up to an average of 1 year post‐detoxification from alcohol.
The effect of dietary supplementation with the natural carotenoids curcumin and lutein on pigmentation, oxidative stability and quality of meat from broiler chickens affected by a coccidiosis challenge

Abstract 1. An experiment was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the antioxidants curcumin (CRM) and lutein (LTN) on the quality of meat from coccidiosis-infected broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old Arbor Acre chicks were randomly assigned to a treatment group with 5 replicates. The treatments included a basal diet without carotenoid supplementation (control), with 300 mg/kg CRM, with 300 mg/kg LTN or with a combination (C + L) of 150 mg/kg CRM and 150 mg/kg LTN. All chickens were challenged with Eimeria maxima at 21 d old. 2. The results revealed that the coccidiosis reduced redness of meat, while supplementation with carotenoids improved the fresh meat’s redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) and contributed to colour stability maintenance after storage (1 month at −18°C and 3 d at 4°C). 3. Coccidiosis did not produce lipid and protein oxidation in fresh meat, but after storage for one month, the malondialdehyde levels and carbonyl contents were lower in the CRM and C + L birds and the sulfhydryl contents were higher in C + L birds. 4. The sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis banding pattern showed equivalent myosin chain fragmentations in all treatment groups, whereas lower intensity actin bands were observed in the control group (CONT). Moreover, myofibril protein denaturation (differential scanning calorimetry) profiles showed a reduction in the CONT myosin and actin peaks. Coccidiosis reduced the meat’s water holding capacity in non-supplemented chicken meat and was improved by natural carotenoid. 5. These results emphasise that coccidiosis did not decrease the eating quality of fresh meat, that natural carotenoids are efficient antioxidants and that CRM (300 mg/kg) fed individually or combined with LTN was the most effective supplemented antioxidant compound.
Subjective, cognitive and cardiovascular dose‐effect profile of nabilone and dronabinol in marijuana smokers

Marijuana dependence is a substantial public health problem, with existing treatments showing limited efficacy. In laboratory and clinical studies, the cannabinoid receptor 1 agonist oral Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; dronabinol) has been shown to decrease marijuana withdrawal but not relapse. Dronabinol has poor bioavailability, potentially contributing to its failure to decrease relapse. The synthetic THC analogue, nabilone, has better bioavailability than dronabinol. We therefore aimed to characterize nabilone's behavioral and physiological effects across a range of acute doses in current marijuana smokers and compare these with dronabinol's effects. Participants (4 female; 10 male) smoking marijuana 6.6 (standard deviation = 0.7) days/week completed this outpatient, within‐subjects, double‐blind, randomized protocol. Over seven sessions, the time‐dependent subjective, cognitive and cardiovascular effects of nabilone (2, 4, 6, 8 mg), dronabinol (10, 20 mg) and placebo were assessed. Nabilone (4, 6, 8 mg) and dronabinol (10, 20 mg) increased ratings of feeling a good effect, a strong effect and/or ‘high’ relative to placebo; nabilone had a slower onset of peak subjective effects than dronabinol. Nabilone (6, 8 mg) modestly lowered psychomotor speed relative to placebo and dronabinol. There were dose‐dependent increases in heart rate after nabilone, and nabilone (2 mg) and dronabinol (10 mg) decreased systolic blood pressure. Thus, nabilone produced sustained, dose‐related increases in positive mood, few cognitive decrements and lawful cardiovascular alterations. It had a longer time to peak effects than dronabinol, and effects were more dose‐related, suggesting improved bioavailability. Nabilone was well tolerated by marijuana smokers, supporting further testing as a potential medication for marijuana dependence.